Lessons On Love
by Northern-Southern Belle
Summary: Selina and Elijah deal with their daughter Amanda's issues at school, including her secret affair with her teacher, Viktor. They also encounter relationship issues of their own when Elijah finds out that one of his students, Christine, is his love child from an affair many years before, and Christine's mother has her eye on him. Crossover with Beautiful Creatures.
1. The Bad Girl In Class

**Disclaimer: Only plot and Original characters belong to me!**

"You're in my seat."

The rest of the class lapsed into silence as the chubby, blushing boy mumbled apologies and started to get up, and then seventeen-year-old Amanda Mikaelson, dressed in ripped jeans, sneakers, and camouflage-patterned t-shirt, stopped him and told him to sit back down again, glaring at the witch who was trying to take his spot, her hands on her hips. "Yeah?" She asked, giving the gum in her mouth a good chew, and then blowing a bubble. "What's your point? Why should he have to move cause you didn't get there quick enough and he did?"

"That's _my seat_!" The girl shouted at the boy again and completely ignored Amanda. "Move your ass and go sit somewhere else."

Amanda stared at her again, and this time, when the boy gave up his seat, Amanda didn't stop him, but waited for the girl to sit down, and when she was seated, the slightly taller Amanda sat down too, leaned forward (the seat being fought over was right in front of hers), and spit the gum she was chewing in her classmate's hair. When the girl raised her hand and felt the gum, she let out a shriek, got up, and pushed Amanda to the ground. Amanda got up, pushed back, and for the third time that week, a bad fight broke out between the two girls. They rolled around on the floor, biting and pinching and hitting, then getting up and knocking over desks. It was Amanda's bad luck that she bashed the girl's head against a desk just as a teacher came in. As another classmate escorted the girl to the nurse to make sure she didn't have a potentially problematic concussion, Amanda was ordered to the principal once again, where, after she was seated, she was told that this fight was one too many and she would be suspended until they figured out what to do with her.

"Fine with me," Amanda shrugged. "I don't really like that class anyway." She started to get up, but the principal ordered her back down. "I think I'll be calling your father out of class to come take you home," she said. "He might be able to talk some sense into you."

"Why?" Amanda asked. "It hasn't worked the other times. And I don't know what your problem is with me, anyway. You always punish me worse than you punish the other kids. What did I ever do to you?"

"Oh, there's something," the principal replied as she pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes. "It has to do with my husband, which is why you've not had a class with him this entire time you've been at school. Sadly that will have to change if I decide to allow you to stay, but, as always, I will be keeping a very close eye on you."

"Fine," Amanda showed her teeth as the principal called Elijah. "Whatever. I don't give a fuck."

* * *

"Amanda Veronica, this is the_ third_ time this week I've had to take you home from school because you got in a fight," Elijah told her as they pulled away from school and headed in the direction of home. "Every time you do this, it not only interrupts your own education, but also gets in the way of the education of the children in my classes as well. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"It's not _my_ fault that bitch of a witch always tries to start crap with me," Amanda replied. "She thinks that because she waves pom-poms around, she can do anything, but someone has to show her that that's not true! Don't you think that given my place in the supernatural community, I have a duty to stand up for myself and others?"

"Well, yes," Elijah agreed. "But do it like a lady. _Not_ a barbarian. Do you understand me?"

"Fine," Amanda sighed. "But even if I behaved myself with the other kids, I bet the stupid principal would still find ways to expel me. She hates me because of my relationship with Viktor before I came to school. She has it in for me specifically for that. You have to realize that!"

"I will concede that Alexandra's behavior toward you isn't necessarily fair, but until we find some way to handle that,_ you_ can control whether or not you get on her bad side. If you don't do anything to antagonize her, she'll leave you be," Elijah said firmly.

"Not when my very _existence_ antagonizes her," Amanda pointed out. "And being alive isn't something I can help! Come on, Daddy! Why can't you be on _my_ side for once?"

"I _am_ on your side!" Elijah told her impatiently. "But as Alexandra is my boss, I have to tread the line between not alienating her and sticking up for you. It's very difficult and I'm sorry if I've been doing a disappointing job."

"Are you _really_?" Amanda asked. "Because I have to wonder."

Elijah heard this, closed his eyes, and tried to keep a hold on his temper. It was just like dealing with her mother in the early twenties all over again. Well, the sassy part of Selina, not the evil part. The evil part he could handle, but it was the sass that he really hated, especially when he knew she was right, at least somewhat.

They drove the rest of the way home in silence and when they met Selina at the door, Elijah explained what happened.

"Well, if you're in trouble for sticking up for someone, I'm not gonna scold you," Selina sighed. "What's Alexandra's problem? That's the third time this week she's sent you home."

"Actually, our daughter's been temporarily suspended until they can figure out what to do with her," Elijah replied. "It's not just her being sent home this time."

"Have you tried explaining to Alexandra what's causing the trouble?" Selina asked her daughter.

"Yes," Amanda nodded. "But she just won't _listen!_"

Selina scoffed. "What a bitch! Whose idea was it to give a woman like that control of the school anyway? I have half a mind to go talk to Astrid. She'll deal with it effectively!"

"Oh, I don't think you should," Amanda replied and twirled her hair. "Daddy doesn't want us causing any trouble."

"Seriously?" Selina looked at Elijah and sighed. "You might not want to cause trouble, but _I_ do. I was willing to play nice before, but now Alexandra has crossed the line by suspending Amanda for no good reason."

"All right," Elijah sighed. "But I'll have no part of this, do you understand? It's something that's going on between you two and Alexandra only."

"Well, _obviously_!" Selina spat. "Cause the two of us are the only ones with guts enough to fight back!"

* * *

It was with some trepidation that Viktor went to see the principal, who'd said that she wanted to speak with him.

"Yes, Alexandra?" He asked his wife dryly. "What did you want from me?"

"Well, I'm afraid I have to give you some bad news, dear," Alexandra replied. "Your Amanda got in a fight yet again, which means I have no choice but to move her from the class she's in now to yours. It's such a shame to break a perfect record like that. I would have preferred to expel her permanently, but she and her mother went to talk to your daughter and Astrid said that if I didn't keep Amanda in school, I'd be fired. I had no other choice."

"I know," Viktor nodded. "It was a nice little break. I believe I should go and tell her the news. Elijah's probably still terrified that she's going to be tossed out." He left and went to Elijah and Selina's and after explaining why he was there, Elijah called for Amanda, who'd been banished to her room. After several minutes of waiting, Amanda slowly descended the long, winding staircase, and then stuck her tongue out at Viktor. "What do _you_ want?" She asked.

"I came to tell you that you haven't been expelled," Viktor replied, while trying not to stare too openly at how much she'd grown. "You just have to be in my class. It won't be pleasant for either of us, but that's how it is."

Selina and Amanda heard this and high-fived. "I _knew_ that getting Astrid involved would work!" Amanda cried. Then she turned to Viktor. "So," she said, "When does our torture begin?"

"Tomorrow," Viktor replied. "I'm your first class of the day."

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing," Amanda replied. "I'll get you out of the way first off and won't have to spend the day dreading it happening."

"I agree," Viktor nodded. "See you tomorrow, Amanda."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "See you tomorrow."


	2. Not A Teacher's Pet

Even after a few days of having Amanda in his class, Viktor still couldn't quite get used to her. She brazenly chewed gum in class even though she knew quite well that it wasn't allowed, and the constant _Chomp! Chomp! Chomp! _Made him grit his teeth and want to kill her.

Finally, he leveled with her and she nodded. "All right, Viktor," she said. "Tomorrow, when I come to class, the first thing I'll do is spit out my gum."

"Thank you," Viktor replied. "That's very considerate of you. And it's Mr. Larson when we're in class, young lady."

"Fine," Amanda replied, her eyes narrowing and her voice dripping with sarcasm. "All right, _Mr. Larson._ When I come to class tomorrow, the first thing I'll do is spit out my gum."

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Viktor asked as she retreated back to her seat and then glared at his turned back as he went to the chalkboard and resumed teaching, thinking, very foolishly, that this would be the last time they butted heads and that that she'd behave herself from now on.

* * *

It turned out to be a pipe dream, however. She came in the room the next day, grabbed Viktor's hand, and when it was palm up, she spit the big wad of pink gum into it before closing his fingers over the gooey, sticky mess. "There you go," she told him, bringing him back to his senses as she smiled and watched him register disgust, throw the gum in the trash, and break out the hand sanitizer. "I spit my gum out, just like you asked."

"Thank you," Viktor said dryly as he let it fall into the trash can by his desk and rubbed anti-bacterial gel all over his hands to stop them from being sticky. "Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," Amanda smiled innocently, then pushed her chair back so she could rest her feet on her desk, crossed at the ankles.

"Young lady, put your feet on the floor, please," Viktor requested. "And move your chair up so you're not squishing poor Alex."

Amanda turned to face the glaring boy whose space she was intruding upon, put her feet on the floor, and moved her seat back up.

"Lovely," Viktor said with a forced smile. "Can we get on with the lesson now?"

"No one ever said you had to stop the lesson," Amanda replied sweetly. "It's your own fault everyone's learning got put on hold. Get teaching!"

Viktor groaned and got up to lecture again, trying to ignore Amanda's smug grin while wondering how long it was until lunch.

* * *

"Does having Viktor as a teacher still suck?" Rosalie asked Amanda as they sat together at their usual lunch table.

"Of course it sucks," Amanda sighed. "Not that the other class was any better."

Just then, Rosalie picked up her phone and read a text that came through. "Well, damn," she sighed.

"Who was that from?" Amanda asked. "That human guy you like?"

"Yeah, Aaron," Rosalie nodded. "He's my friend, but I don't know if I like him any other way. They still haven't caught his mother's killer. They thought they had him, but it turned out to be wrong."

"My god, how long ago did she die?" Amanda asked.

"Twelve years ago," Rosalie sighed. "Poor Aaron. It's just crushing him not to know what happened. Now they're thinking it was some sort of animal that killed her. Although how an animal could climb into a locked car and rip a woman's throat out…I don't know."

"Yeah," Amanda shook her head. "Me either. Is that all you two talk about when you're together? Have you ever considered focusing on something, I don't know, _happier_? Take him out! Help him meet people!"

"I would," Rosalie replied and pulled a blood bag out of a cooler in her backpack and taking a long swig. "But I don't know where all the good human places are. My big hang out spot is at Roxie's, and you _know_ that it would be a bad idea for Aaron to go there. They'd probably kill him even if I _did_ vouch for him." She paused. "Unless my father killed him first. He's still not so happy with me having a human friend. The only reason why he tolerates it now is cause Mom makes him. But you know that."

"Well, that _is _a problem," Amanda said thoughtfully. "I'm sure you'll be able to think of something, though."

"I really hope so," Rosalie replied. "Cause if there's anything Aaron needs now, it's a distraction."

* * *

After lunch, Amanda had a free period, so she wandered around until she came upon the teachers' lounge and noticed that the door was cracked open. She got close to it and heard her parents and Viktor talking. She took that as license to push the door open the rest of the way and go inside.

"Hello everyone!" She called. "Mom, Viktor, Pops."

Elijah raised an eyebrow. "I hope you have an actual free period and aren't cutting class."

"Why do you always assume the worst of me?" Amanda asked and rooted around in the teachers' lounge refrigerator, taking a shine to a bag with a roast beef sandwich in it that had Viktor's name on it. She took it out, opened it, and began eating. She didn't get in too many bites before Viktor came and took it away. "This is mine," he said firmly, wishing he hadn't chosen to grade papers over the lunch hour instead of actually eating. "My name is on it. See?"

"Oh, please," Amanda said with her mouth full. "It's a big sandwich! Do you really think you can eat all that by yourself? I'm a poor starving teenager. Have some pity."

"I brought some leftover cake from my last class," Selina told her. "If you're hungry, have that instead."

Amanda handed Viktor the sandwich (with the bite she'd made very obvious), and took out the cake instead. "Thanks, Mom," She said with a smile as she began eating the cake. "This _is _much better!"

"Have we forgotten the 'chew with your mouth closed' lesson you learned in etiquette class?" Elijah wanted to know.

"You're right," Amanda nodded and swallowed. "Sorry." She ate the rest of the cake in silence, put the plate in the sink, and then told them goodbye. Once she was gone, Viktor let out a relieved breath.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Selina asked.

"Oh, yeah," Viktor nodded. "Thank you. I'll be fine, don't worry."

"Has Amanda been causing trouble for you?" Elijah asked. "Because you know I'll have a talk with her if she has."

"Oh, no," Viktor shook his head. "It's nothing I can't handle. She's just…a very overwhelming person sometimes."

"All right," Elijah replied. He then looked at his watch, got up, gave Selina a kiss and headed off to his next class. Selina left soon after and Viktor was left alone in the teacher's lounge to eat what was left of his sandwich in peace.

* * *

After school, Amanda had soccer practice. She was known as the strongest member of her team and the reason why they had won the majority of their games since she'd started.

Elijah had been reluctant to let her play sports because he feared she'd be too reliant upon her powers when playing and give her vampire status away, but after Selina had pointed out that _she'd_ played softball during World War II and nothing bad had happened (along with the very good point that playing sports would give Amanda an outlet for all her extra energy,) he'd finally relented.

And it had been a very good decision, cause soon after she'd begun on her team (she was the only girl in a group of boys, as she'd compelled her way in as a protest of how sports teams were always separated into boys and girls) one of her team mates, a very athletic boy with green eyes and shaggy dark hair named Will, had confessed to her over burgers after practice one day that he was actually something of a Frankenstein's monster. He'd been out hiking and had been attacked by a mountain lion. By the time they'd found him, he was not only dead, but what was left of him had been horribly mangled. His grieving warlock father (despite knowing that what he was doing was against magical law) had, under cover of night, taken what was left of him and hid it away, digging up the extra body parts he needed and reattaching them to his son until, at last, with a little help from magic, he was whole again, although the reconstruction had, of course, left him without the powers he'd had before his death. But his father hadn't minded as long as he was alive.

"Your father did that?" Amanda asked in amazement. "Wow! That is so nice! He didn't get arrested, did he?"

"Yeah, he got his medical license taken away, and he's serving jail time now," Will replied with a sigh. "But he has an option for parole and he's been behaving himself, so we're sure he'll get out in a few years."

"Why are you trusting me with this?" She asked. "Don't you think I'll blab it to people?"

"Well, as you're a vampire yourself," Will replied quietly, "I think I can trust you. Am I wrong?"

"No," Amanda shook her head. "I'll keep your secret. I was just curious."

"Good," Will nodded. "I'll keep your secret too."

"Thanks," Amanda smiled. They'd shook hands, finished their burgers and shakes, and then headed home for the night.


	3. The First Detention

Amanda's brazen behavior in class continued, so finally, one day, when he was at the end of his rope, Viktor decided to give her detention, but was kind enough to do it after all the other students had left so that she wasn't humiliated.

"You can't do that to me!" She exclaimed angrily. "What have I done to warrant this?"

"Oh, your complete disrespect of my authority comes to mind!" Viktor replied. "You're in _my_ classroom now and _I'm_ in charge. Don't think that just because we've known each other for a long time, and your father is my friend that I'll just let you get away with whatever you want."

"But _detention_, Viktor?" Amanda wanted to know while boosting herself onto his desk and raising an eyebrow. "I figure that with this complaint of yours, the _last_ thing you'd want to do is spend even more time with me. So how about we make things easier on ourselves and you hunt down a paddle and give me a whack or something?"

"No, I can't do that!" Viktor exclaimed, looking horrified. "That's too cruel!"

"All right then," Amanda smiled, getting right up close to his ear. "You can't say I didn't offer you the easy way out. See you after school." She then hopped off the desk and sashayed out of the classroom, giving him a good look at the back of her before she shut the classroom door behind her.

Viktor then sat down at his desk and tried to feel like he'd won something, but all he felt was a chill and a terrible sense of foreboding, something that told him he hadn't won anything at all.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, the next thing Amanda did was stop by her mother's classroom to confess what had just happened.

"Viktor is giving you _detention?" _Selina asked as she laid the ingredients for the fajitas they were making out on the table. "What did you do to deserve that?"

Amanda shrugged. "He seems to think that I have no respect for his authority."

"Is that true?" Selina asked. "Cause I would hope that you're not taking advantage of the fact that you have someone you know as a teacher to do less than your best in class."

"Mom, have I gotten anything less than an 'A' ever since I started getting grades?" Amanda wanted to know.

"Well, no, you haven't," Selina admitted. "And your father and I are very proud of you for that. It's probably what stopped him from sending you to boarding school like he did with your sister Annaliese."

"Wait, did he actually send her away, or was that just a threat?" Amanda wanted to know.

"No, it actually happened," Selina nodded. "That's how Annaliese met Peter."

"Is that so?" Amanda asked, her eyes twinkling. "So things turned out to be not so bad for her after all. Not that I'm gonna do anything to get myself sent away." She paused. "You're gonna tell Dad about my having detention, aren't you?"

"I'm gonna have to," Selina replied. "You're not gonna be able to hide this. He'll notice when you don't come home from school at your usual time."

"How much trouble do you think I'll be in?" Amanda wanted to know.

"I have no idea, but I'd prepare for at least a grounding of a week," Selina replied. "Now you better get to your next class. You don't want to be late."

"No," Amanda shook her head and turned to walk away. "I sure don't."

* * *

"Well, the inevitable has happened," Selina told Elijah. "Amanda just stopped by my classroom to tell me that Viktor finally gave her detention so she won't be home at her regular time tonight."

Elijah sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be that way. I wish Amanda would have just behaved herself. But since that's obviously not something that's possible, I applaud Viktor for being willing to give her some discipline so that she remembers whatever behavior she's showing now isn't acceptable."

"True," Selina nodded. "But at the same time, you and I both know that if she behaves this way cause she wants Viktor's attention, it'll only end when she's ready for it to, no matter what Viktor does."

"Of course," Elijah sighed. "I know that. I hope with everything I have in me that Amanda will never reach your level of troublesome, and I don't think she will, but even so…I really hope Viktor will be able to pull through and not let her overtake him."

"Oh, I do too!" Selina replied. "I mean, you had trouble with me, and you're you, you know, so imagine how hard poor Viktor will have it!"

"You think I should check in on Amanda's detention tonight?" Elijah asked. "You know, just for Viktor's sake?"

"Why don't you wait until next time, if there is one?" Selina suggested. "See how he is tomorrow, and if it seems like he pulled through fine, then you won't have anything to worry about. And as for Amanda, don't be too hard on her. I've told her to prepare for a grounding at least, but I think you and I both know that it's not warranted. A brief, and may I stress _brief_ lecture will get the message across just as well as a long one or a grounding."

"All right, that sounds sensible," Elijah replied. Then, he leaned down to kiss her. "Good luck with your last class of the day."

"You too!" Selina replied. "Meet you at the car when this is all over!" She then watched him go while students streamed in and got to their work stations, waiting for her to introduce the day's recipe.

* * *

When Amanda arrived for detention, she was surprised to notice that she was the only one there. Even Viktor himself wasn't in the room. She boosted herself on his desk again and waited, her feet in their blue sneakers dangling over the floor. When he came in, he stared at her. "At least you showed up on time," he said dryly, before picking her up off his desk and giving her a couple of slaps on the bottom and urging her to sit at one of the empty desks. "I didn't think you would. I was counting on you to skip out on me."

"Oh, Viktor!" She smiled as she sat down. "When I said I wanted you to give me a whack, I didn't think you'd have the guts to actually listen! But just to see if it's not a fluke…" She came and was about to sit on the desk when he picked her up and she ended up in his lap instead.

"We have to stop meeting like this," she said playfully. "People will start getting suspicious." She then gave him a light slap on the cheek and he grabbed her, pulling her close to himself. "You've gone too far now," he said. "I think it would be best if you went and sat down."

"Oh, all right, you spoilsport," Amanda sighed. "It's a shame you can't just take a joke." She got to her feet and went to sit down. "What do you want me to do now?" She asked.

"Just sit quietly," Viktor replied. "If you really want something to do, take out a pencil and a few pieces of paper and write the words 'I won't disrespect Viktor' over and over again until all the pages are full."

"Really?" Amanda giggled. "That's so old-fashioned!"

"Would you rather I made you do something else?" Viktor asked firmly.

"No, sir!" Amanda shook her head and got out the three pieces of paper. "I assume you want me to fill both sides?" She asked dryly.

"Sure," Viktor nodded. "Why not?"

Amanda did what he ordered, but she didn't stay silent while doing it. "So Viktor," she began. "Because inquiring minds wanna know, how are things with you and Principal Ice Queen? Good?"

"That's none of your business!" Viktor replied. "But as you probably won't drop the subject until I give you an answer, I'll have you know that things are just _dandy_ between me and Alexandra."

"That's nice," Amanda replied. "And do you wear boxers or briefs to bed? I wear these really tiny pajama shorts that are green and navy plaid and a tank top. It's very comfy."

"I bet it is," Viktor replied, trying not to picture her in that ensemble, but failing and even allowing the tank top to ride up a little in his vision so he saw a little bit of her stomach. "But that's not something I needed to know."

"I know," Amanda replied. "But I'm telling you anyway. Consider it a gift. Now it's your turn to share. Please tell me you're a boxer man. If you briefs, I'm just gonna laugh at you."

Viktor sighed. "Well, in that case…I'm a boxer man. I'll have you know though that I always cover myself up in bed. Except for an hour on Friday nights when Alexandra and I give into our feelings for one another, of course but…damn, I don't know why I'm telling you this! It's none of your business. Just do your lines and don't say another word. Do you understand me?"

"Okay, fine," Amanda nodded. Viktor sat at his desk, and while he waited, noticed sunlight playing off her hair, which was tied back in a ponytail to keep it out of her eyes. Then, when she'd finished her lines, she gathered the papers up, took her hair out of the ponytail, and shook it out as she approached his desk and lay the papers down. "There you go. Six sides of 'I will not disrespect Viktor' in my best handwriting."

"All right," Viktor nodded. As she waited, he looked the papers over, amazed that she'd actually done as he asked and hadn't even skipped a line.

"I'm very impressed," he told her at last. "I honestly didn't think you would do it. I'm fully aware that you have it in you to overpower me."

"I know," Amanda nodded. "But maybe I just like spending time with you, even if you _are_ making me do something as dumb as writing lines. Did you ever think of that? Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go home so I can be read the riot act by my father. He hates it when I'm late for stuff like that." Then, she left the room and shut the door behind her before Viktor could even respond.


	4. She Won't Leave Me Alone

After what she went through in detention, Amanda thought subsequent days in class would be awkward. She expected Viktor to pick on her relentlessly, but every question he asked in class, he called on someone else to answer, no matter how high she raised her hand. Finally, she stood up on her chair and called out, "Hey Mr. Larson! I know an answer! Why don't you call on me? I'll even stand on this chair so you can see me better!"

"I was _not_ ignoring you, Miss Mikaelson," Viktor told her. "It's just that you talk so often in class that I thought it would be nice to give some other people a chance. Now, kindly sit down before you hurt yourself."

"Fine," Amanda replied. "But just so you know, the answer to the question is that Mount Vesuvius is best known for erupting in 79 AD and destroying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum." The class groaned as she sat down and, with a sigh, Viktor moved on to the next question.

Having gotten her chance to talk, Amanda decided to take pity on him and give him a break, so she stayed silent for the rest of class, and as everyone filed out afterward, Viktor gestured for her to come up to his desk.

"Let me guess," Amanda said dryly. "Detention again?"

"Not at the moment," Viktor replied. "Unless that's what you want?"

"Wow," Amanda said quietly, a smile curving her lips as she got right up close to his ear. "That sounded so hot the way you said it. Like you were trying to seduce me with the promise of detention. And I can see why: you, me, alone in a quiet room after school, no one stopping in to interrupt us…"

"No, that is not what I meant at all!" Viktor snapped. "Don't you have a class to be getting to?"

"I'm off this period," Amanda replied.

"Well, whatever then," Viktor told her dismissively. "I don't care what you do just go bother someone else, would you?"

"Fine," Amanda replied. "You have a good rest of the day, Viktor. And don't miss me too much."

She left and Viktor muttered under his breath. "Don't miss me too much," he mocked Amanda's tone. "Honestly, how can one girl be so self-absorbed that she believes she can direct all my attention to herself? It's absolute foolishness is what it is, and I won't stand for it. I won't!" He got up and walked around the room, then pulled out some papers to grade. Amanda's was on the top of the pile and it took all the willpower he had in him to give her the good grade she deserved instead of an 'F' out of pure spite. If _only_ she were as lax in her work as some of the other children, he would be able to have the catharsis of giving her a failing grade, but for all her annoying habits, she was really damn smart, and that, more than anything, was the most annoying thing about her: that she was intelligence and disobedience wrapped up in a pretty denim and leather covered wrapper.

* * *

After school, Viktor decided he needed a break from his most persistent pupil, so he decided to spend time with the other relative of hers that he knew cause he doubted Amanda would be at Klaus'.

He was very wrong, however, and when he saw Amanda and Rosalie painting each other's nails in the living room, he groaned and stomped his foot. "Hey there, Mr. Larson," Amanda greeted him. "What's the matter with you?"

"For heaven's sake!" Viktor cried. "You're not supposed to be here! Is there a single place that I can go that you won't be?"

"How about your bedroom?" Amanda asked dryly. "We know Queen Alexandra won't allow me in there." She grinned. "Although I could get in there if I wanted to, don't get me wrong. If there's one thing in this world that I'm not afraid of, it's your wife!"

"Well, you say that now, but wait til you see her in person and say that," Viktor replied dryly.

"You want me to do that just so she'll get pissed and throw me out, don't you?" Amanda asked after Rosalie did a spell to make their nails dry instantly. "Am I really that bad?"

"Well, no," Viktor sighed. "I'm just…I'm just really annoyed right now. There's something about you that just…just drives me insane!"

"Well, if you figure out what that is, please tell me so I can stop doing it," Amanda replied. "I don't like upsetting you on purpose."

"See, there you go again!" Viktor said. "Here I am raging at you and you react impeccably."

"I know," Amanda nodded. "I learned it from etiquette class, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Viktor sighed. He then turned his attention to Rosalie. "_Please_ tell me your father is here."

"Yes," Rosalie nodded, a smirk very visible on her face. "He's downstairs and he has alcohol. Just tell him what you need and I'm sure he'll have no trouble giving it to you."

"Bless you," Viktor told her and then headed to the basement where Klaus was sitting in a leather recliner and holding a half-drunk drink in his hand. "Well, this is a surprise, Viktor!" He exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting you. I thought you mostly hung around Elijah these days."

"And I'm beginning to learn what a mistake that was," Viktor nodded. "Not because of your brother, of course, but because of his annoying, know it all daughter! Have you ever noticed how annoying Amanda is?"

"Honestly, I haven't really noticed," Klaus told him. "I've just spent time with her in small doses because she usually only hangs around Rosalie, and she's never been a problem for me."

"All right, but imagine you had to be around her every second of the day," Viktor replied, snatching Klaus' drink out of his hand and downing it and then rooting around for something else. "Imagine that no matter where you turned, there she was, just being the most annoying person she could possibly be. And you can't escape! You just have to be there and watch her and she just gets more and more annoying until…."

"Until what?" Klaus asked.

"Until you just wanna reach out and shake her and break her little neck!" Viktor made violent wringing and shaking motions with his hands before collapsing into a chair and letting out his breath. "I'm gonna have to face her tomorrow," he said. "I'm gonna have to face her and I just don't know what to do."

"Give her permission not to be in class," Klaus suggested as he made his friend a double scotch. "That'll at least buy you some time."

"Yes, that's _good_!" Viktor nodded. "Good thinking." He then took the drink out of Klaus' hand, drank it, and then after he finished it, stayed downstairs until he was sure Amanda was gone before heading back home for the night.

* * *

"If you're thinking of putting me in detention today, just let me know right now," Amanda told Viktor when she came in early for class the next day. "Although if you're still pissed about the other night, it's not fair to put me in detention just for visiting my uncle."

"No, I will _not_ put you in detention for visiting your uncle," Viktor replied firmly. "But I _will _ask that you take class off today. Do whatever you want. You can make up the time missed at a time I decide."

"Wow, you must be _really_ pissed if you're letting me out of class just to be rid of me," Amanda replied, deciding to repeat her apology. "Whatever I've done, I'm sorry."

Viktor sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You…you haven't done anything. It's not your fault. You just…you know the exact thing to do that drives me insane. Which is impressive. Alexandra always knows how to get under my skin, but it seems you know how even more than she does."

Amanda chuckled. "If she gets under your skin more than she gets under your pants, no wonder your marriage is terrible!"

"That's it!" Viktor cried, shutting the classroom door and locking it so no one else could get in.

"What are you doing?" Amanda asked in shock. "What about the other kids?"

"Oh, fine!" Viktor snapped. He wrote a note that said class was cancelled for the day, stuck it on the door and shut it again. Then, he strode back to Amanda. "I hope you're proud of yourself!" He cried. "Look what you've reduced me to! I used to be so put together. And then _you_ showed up!"

"All right, so I _am_ a problem for you," Amanda nodded. "Good to know. What can I do to fix this?"

Viktor's eye began twitching and before Amanda could move, he grabbed her, began shaking her, and then, to her shock, he kissed her deep, and long, his hands sliding down her back as he boosted her onto the desk, stopped to breath, and then kissed her one more time. After he pulled away the second time, there was a lightness in his body, some heavy weight lifted. He ordered her off the desk, made her swear not to tell anyone what had happened between them, and sent her on her way.


	5. I Just Can't Take It Anymore

Amanda wasn't quite sure what to do now that she and Viktor had kissed. She'd not been able to enjoy it cause Viktor had been insane, but she was sure that if she could get him to do it again, it would be _much_ more enjoyable.

It was as Viktor wrote on the chalkboard that Amanda began to notice what a nice backside he had, and when he turned around to lecture, she didn't hear him cause she was too busy focusing on his lips. Finally, she felt a sharp nudge and was brought abruptly to the present, realizing that Viktor was saying her name and probably had been for some time.

"Sorry," she said. "I don't know where my head was."

"Well, I'm very disappointed in you, Miss Mikaelson," he told her. "Your lack of attentiveness is troubling. I'm gonna have to give you detention." As the class made noises in response, Amanda smiled and chuckled nervously. "Well, all right," she said. "I'll be back here on time."

"Good," Viktor told her firmly. "You better be!" He then went on with class as if nothing else had happened, and Amanda tried to focus on the lesson, despite the fact that images and thoughts of Viktor kept popping up and making it difficult.

* * *

After class, Viktor quickly realized that his outburst toward Amanda had been rash. He approached Elijah, opened his mouth to apologize, and then Elijah said, "Does Amanda have detention again? I can't stress how sorry I am that my daughter has been so troublesome."

"Oh, it's no trouble," Viktor said quickly, hoping that Elijah couldn't hear the beating of his heart. "I just got a little carried away. She doesn't have to have detention tonight. I'm going to see her and tell her that I've changed my mind."

"Oh, no," Elijah shook his head. "If she's done something wrong, she's done something wrong. Don't go soft on her just because of me. If Amanda needs special attention, I'm perfectly all right with you giving it to her."

"Really?" Viktor asked. "Are you sure? I thought you would have more objections to that than you having."

"Oh, no," Elijah shook his head. "I want my daughter to do well in school and in life and how far will she get if she has no respect for authority. Please don't let the fact that you've known her since she was a child allow you to just let her get away with things. Do whatever you need to do to show her that you are in charge." He paused. "I mean, don't hurt her or anything like that, but…you know what I mean."

"Yes," Viktor nodded, still a little concerned about Elijah's easy-going approach. They clearly were not on the same page about the sort of 'attention' Amanda needed, but Viktor felt it would be a waste of breath trying to clarify what he meant. "I certainly do."

* * *

"Okay," Amanda said tiredly as she plodded into Viktor's classroom after school and put her bag on a desk. "What do you want me to do in restitution for not paying attention in class today? Do you want me to do more lines?"

"Did you close the door behind you?" Viktor asked. "Please close the door."

"All-all right," Amanda nodded. She went and closed the door, then sat back down at a desk. Then, she and Viktor stared at one another for a long time before he pulled her to her feet and kissed her again. She was more ready for it this time, but still, when he pulled away, she felt a little shock.

"You…you're a good kisser," she finally got out.

"Thank you," Viktor nodded. "I've never been sure. Alexandra never says anything either way."

"Of course she doesn't," Amanda replied.

"I know that what we're doing here is wrong," Viktor continued. "I know I'm married and that you're not legally an adult yet, but I'm past the point of caring." He kissed Amanda's lips again and then worked his way down her neck. "You will not tell anyone about this," he said.

"Of course not," Amanda replied, and then let out a moan. "What do you think I am, an idiot?"

"Well, you do have a big mouth," Viktor countered. "Am I wrong?"

Amanda smirked. "You think I'm gonna brag to all my friends about how you have the hots for me? I won't."

"You better not," Viktor said firmly as he gripped her bottom.

"And if I do, what'll you do to me then?" Amanda wanted to know. "You already have me in detention. What more could you do?"

He then pushed her against the wall and pulled off her top and then slid her jeans down to her ankles and her panties soon followed

"I'm not going to regret this," he told her. "I'm not sorry. But don't you dare tell Alexandra."

"I-I won't," Amanda assured him. "I promise."

"Good," Viktor replied. "Why don't you kick your pants into a corner or something? It'll be easier that way."

"All right," Amanda nodded. He then ordered her to boost herself onto the desk while he unzipped his pants and then, after he'd shoved all his papers and junk off his desk, he lay her down vertically and they looked into each other's eyes before he took her in his arms, kissed her, and slipped inside of her as she ran her fingers through his hair. She was afraid that he'd end things right away because his troubled conscience would weigh on him, but apparently, years and years of sexual repression made him want to make up for lost time. It was lucky that, like her siblings before her, her mother had gotten her on birth control when she'd come into her teens.

"Wow," she said at last, eyes wide when he finally took a pause to catch his breath. "I had no idea that you could go on for so long!"

Viktor grinned. "Oh, my dear," he said and pushed her hair out of her eyes. "You underestimate me. You really do."

"Are you…are you tired?" Amanda wanted to know. "Should we stop?"

"Well, honestly, I don't really want to," Viktor replied, and then looked up at the clock. "But I have a sense that if you're not home soon, your father will start poking around and we don't want that, so you better go. But I _will_ need you back here a few days from now."

"A few days?" Amanda asked in surprise. "You think you can wait that long?"

"No," Viktor shook his head. "But we can't have your father getting suspicious. I might start telling him that it's not detention that I'm keeping you at school for, but tutoring for advanced placement. That would be better."

"Whatever you say," Amanda nodded and put her pants and underwear on again as he zipped himself up.

"And remember," Viktor said firmly, "Don't tell anyone about this. Especially not your parents."

"Okay," Amanda nodded. "I won't." She then called her father to tell him she was on her way home, and that she promised she'd never be in detention again.

* * *

"I hope Viktor worked you hard," Elijah told Amanda as she came into the kitchen. "He wanted to go soft on you, but I told him not to."

"Oh, he listened," Amanda nodded. "Don't worry about that. I've learned my lesson and from now on, when I stay after school with Viktor, it will be because he wants to give me help with my advanced placement classes."

"Well, that's good," Elijah said in approval. "I'm proud about that."

"Yeah," Amanda smiled. "He really makes learning fun."

"But don't be so hung up on your education that you forget to have a life," Selina told her. "Be in relationships, go out to parties, see the world. Okay?"

"All right, Mom," Amanda assured her. "I won't let Viktor stop me from having a social life. I promise."


	6. Pulling Back A Little

"You seem cheerful, Viktor," Klaus remarked as he let Viktor into his house. "Or at least not so tightly wound. What happened?"

"I…I finally had sex," Viktor replied. "I mean, I had it again, and it was good!"

"Alexandra finally decided to give you what you want?" Klaus asked.

"No," Viktor shook his head. "It wasn't Alexandra. It was your niece. It was Amanda. It seemed like a good idea when I did it, but now…now I don't know how I'll ever look your brother in the eye again."

"Well, you should at least pretend," Klaus replied. "Would it make you feel better if I compelled you to relax? Cause I will."

"No, that won't help!" Viktor replied. "But how the hell do I deal with this? How do I deal with taking advantage of a beautiful, inexperienced young woman for my own personal gain?"

"Don't say anything to my brother yet," Klaus said firmly. "I'll think of something. And you're not the worst she could do. _That's_ something you've got in your favor."

Viktor wasn't really sure he wanted Klaus' help in this matter. In fact, he didn't even know why he'd told him in the first place. But it was too late now. The cat was out of the bag and Viktor would just have to wait and see what crazy thing Klaus came up with next.

He said, "Can I ask what you plan to do? Cause frankly, I'm a bit nervous."

"Oh, don't worry," Klaus winked. "It's nothing to do with you. I'll just find a way to distract my brother so that he won't have room in his brain to think about you and Amanda can carry on as you please."

"And how will you do that?" Viktor asked.

"Can't you just trust me?" Klaus wanted to know. "I swear, you're as twitchy and critical as Alistair and I don't appreciate it. I'm trying to do you a favor, mate."

"And I don't think it's too much to ask to want to know what that favor is," Viktor replied firmly.

"Oh, all right," Klaus sighed. "I think we all know that the hiring practices at your school mostly consist of people getting jobs because they know someone, right? Well, I have a werewolf friend who told me that he was just hired as the new gym teacher. I'll tell him about Selina and how she's got werewolf blood too, and while the two of them are bonding, Elijah will be so distraught that he'll think about that, and not you, and everything will be fine."

Viktor looked horrified. "You're actually suggesting that Selina cheat on your brother just to save my ass?" He asked. "That's horrible!"

"No, it's not, because it won't actually happen," Klaus said firmly. "Elijah just needs to _think_ it will. Trust me, with him, that's enough of an issue."

Viktor shut his eyes then, and without thanking Klaus (and wondering why he'd ever come to the man for help in the first place) left his house, went home, and tried to distract himself so that he wouldn't think about Amanda.

* * *

Selina and Elijah were making their way toward school one morning when they heard someone call out. Selina turned and saw a very fit man wearing sweat pants and a shirt that showed off his lean, muscular body coming toward them, his smiling face covered in light brown scruff that matched his hair, his teeth white and even.

"Hi," he said, catching his breath. "I'm Jack Harrison. I start work here today and I'm looking for the office."

"Are you the new gym teacher?" Selina asked and took his arm. "Well, welcome! I'm Selina and this is my husband, Elijah. We teach home economics and history."

"You don't know how happy I am to meet you," Jack told her without looking at Elijah and taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "I was nervous about being the first active werewolf hired here, but it's nice to know you're one too. Your brother-in-law Klaus is a friend of mine, and he said that I should seek you out when I got here."

"Yeah, I'm an active werewolf all right," Selina nodded and put her arm around Jack's waist so she was between him and her husband, cause Elijah looked like he was about to kill him, an expression that had appeared as soon as Jack had mentioned being a friend of Klaus'. Selina kept a grip on both men as they made their way to the office, and then to get Jack settled into the gym.

* * *

After they got Jack settled in the gym, Selina took time to acknowledge Elijah's sour face. "What's the matter?" She sighed. "Are you upset about Jack? I saw you glaring at him."

"He's a _werewolf!_" Elijah muttered angrily and showed his teeth. "And he said he knew Niklaus. My brother probably encouraged him to come near you just to annoy me."

"So what?" Selina asked. "And it's probably nothing like that. Klaus probably was trying to be helpful and make sure Jack had some friends on his first day, and since he knows us, he sent Jack our way."

"How can you be so stupid and naive? He wants you!" Elijah cried. "You saw him! He said, 'I was nervous about being the first werewolf here, but it's nice to know you're one too'! And he took your hand, kissed it, and smiled his stupid smile!"

"He's just trying to be nice!" Selina cried, "Will you calm down? And given how werewolves are viewed by uptight judgmental people such as yourself, can you blame Jack for being glad he has company?"

"Well, if he ever tries to make advances toward you, you tell him in no uncertain terms that you're married and won't stand for his nonsense!" Elijah told her as they reached his classroom.

"Of course!" Selina cried. "I mean, I won't use that exact phrasing cause it sounds stupid, but I _will_ tell him that I'm not available even though, from a purely aesthetic standpoint, he is a _fine_ specimen of man."

"Selina!" Elijah cried in shock. "You're turning on me already!"

"No, I'm not!" Selina cried. "Didn't you hear me say that I was judging his good looks in a purely aesthetic way? Guys do that with other women all the time. Why can't I?"

"Cause of your habit of turning what start as flirtations or purely aesthetic admiration into full blown relationships!" Elijah replied firmly. "You've given me ample reason to be suspicious of you and other men over the years!"

"Yeah, okay, but not _recently_ I haven't," Selina replied. "I'm gonna invite Jack to sit with me at lunch until he meets some other people. You can sit with us if you want to, but you have to be polite!"

"You better _believe_ I'll be sitting with you," Elijah replied. "It's the only way I'll be able to keep an extra close eye on that…man!"

"Would it make you feel better to have a damn chastity belt made for me and then put the key to it in your pocket at all times?" Selina asked sarcastically.

"You know, that's a very good idea!" Elijah replied. He then went into his classroom and slammed the door in her face while she shouted, "You know I was just kidding, right?"

* * *

Viktor's eyes widened as Amanda began stripping the second she entered the room and closed the door behind her. "No, no, no!" He cried. "Don't do that!"

"Why not?" Amanda wanted to know, pausing unhooking her bra and put her shirt back on. "I thought that's what these 'tutoring sessions' were for?"

"Well, yes, but…I think I did too much at once last time," Viktor admitted. "Let's go a little slower."

"Oh, all right," Amanda sighed. "If you say so!"

"I do," Viktor replied, taking her in his arms and kissing her. He kept his hands firmly around her waist for a bit before Amanda finally felt them slip under her shirt, unhook her bra, and pull off her shirt as, with a gasp, he sank his fangs into her neck.

"Wow," Amanda said, feeling a little woozy after he released her and collapsing into his arms. "Did you not feed much today?"

"No, I…I've been a little preoccupied ever since you and I did what we did," Viktor confessed. He watched her heal, and after she put on her bra and shirt, said, "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No," Amanda shook her head. "I'm fine."

"Good," Viktor replied. He then took her in his arms and kissed her, his hands roaming over her body and even unbuttoning and unzipping her jeans to slip his fingers beneath her panties while she held onto him, shut her eyes, and moaned. She was still clutching him when she came, and then he let her go, buttoned and zipped her up, and sat her down in a chair because her legs, she claimed, felt like jelly.

"Well, that was fun," she got out. "What are we gonna do now?"

"What you came here to do," he said firmly before grabbing his anti-bacterial hand gel and rubbing it furiously all over his palms. "Now, where were we?"

"We were nowhere," Amanda replied. "This is the first time you've actually wanted me to learn anything."

"Well, okay," Viktor nodded. "Good point."

He wrote some random crap on the board and tried to get back into teacher mode, but his efforts were half-hearted, and after a short while, he gave up. "You got a book in your bag that you can read while I grade papers?" He asked. "Or some homework to do?"

"Yeah, of course," Amanda nodded. She got her math things out of her bag and got that done while Viktor graded papers, and then, after an hour had passed, she put it all away, got up, and made her way toward the door. But Viktor stopped her just before she reached it, kissed her again, and then, after giving her a couple of spankings, ushered her out the door and telling her he'd see her later.


	7. You Wear It Well

Although Amanda enjoyed what she and Viktor were doing behind closed doors, part of her was worried about it also: worried about how she, as young as she was, could have long-term appeal for a man who was as sophisticated and worldly as Viktor was. And lucky for her, she knew with whom to share her feelings (without saying anything specific, of course).

One day as she and her mother were sitting in Selina's car after soccer practice (Amanda liked being driven, even though she had a car of her own cause it gave her and her mother a chance to talk), she said, "Mom, did you ever…feel like you weren't good enough for Dad?"

"Why do you ask?" Selina wanted to know.

"Cause I like a guy who's…older, and I know Dad's lots older than you, so…did you ever feel like you weren't good enough for him?" Amanda asked.

"Well, when we first met, I was a bad person," Selina replied. "I was a bad person, I was angry, I was murdering, I was having the care-free adolescence I didn't have when I was actually a teenager, and your dad didn't think too much of me for that. Now, it wasn't the literal age difference so much, cause your uncle, whom I was dating at the time, has been around just as long, but…your dad was the first mature, responsible man I ever let myself get close to, and yes, there was some judgement on both our ends…I thought he was a pompous, controlling jerk and he thought I was a hedonistic child completely lacking in class, but we worked through things and we love each other now, so I'm sure that things'll work out between you and this older guy. Just be yourself and everything will work out, I swear."

"You think?" Amanda wanted to know. "Cause I've already done some things that I don't think will exactly endear me to him to get his attention. I want him to see me as an adult and I'm not quite there yet."

"Well, don't worry," Selina replied. "I'll help. Just let me know what you need and we'll get it."

"Thanks," Amanda replied. "I feel like kind of an idiot caring so much about this guy when there are plenty of guys my own age around, but I can't help it."

"You don't have to be ashamed of who you fall in love with," Selina replied. "If you're both willing, it should be just as good a relationship as if you were dating someone your own age. Or even better."

Amanda shrugged. "All right then, I trust you," she said. "If anyone would know that, you would."

* * *

Selina woke up one morning soon after and let out a cry. "Oh, fuck!" She yelled when she saw the time on the clock. She'd missed the alarm, she was going to be late for school, and Elijah wasn't in bed. He'd probably left already. She threw off her pajamas and burst into the bathroom where she froze as she saw Elijah standing naked against the shower and smirking.

"What the hell?" She asked. "We're really late! Why are you naked? You should be all smartly dressed and dragging me out the door with you. This is really out of character!"

"We're not going to school today," Elijah told her calmly and drew her into his arms. "You're going to stay home with me. That's why I turned the alarm off."

"Well, this is a nice surprise," Selina got out. Elijah kissed her and then something hit her. "Is this about Jack? Are you still jealous? Is this an 'I'm marking my territory' thing?"

"Shhh!" Elijah put a finger on her lips. "Don't say his name. Don't ruin the moment. Now I'm going to run the shower. Will you come in with me, or not?"

"Have I ever passed up a chance to come in the shower with you?" Selina wanted to know. "Do you think I've completely lost my mind? I admit I'm a little disoriented by you choosing not to go to school today, and a bit miffed that it's because of Jack, but really, it doesn't bother me that m-" She was cut off when Elijah kissed her yet again.

"Stop talking," he said, his breathing heavy as he ushered her into the running shower. "Please. It ruins the moment."

"Oh, well, all right," Selina nodded. "Sorry."

She got under the spray and let Elijah clean her off at a leisurely pace with a loofah and wash her hair, and after that was done, she did the same to him.

Once they got out of the shower and toweled off, Elijah paused at the bathroom door. "I'm going to be working you very hard today," he warned Selina. "We should probably get blood in you before we get started."

"First of all, I can handle whatever you dish out," Selina informed him. "On Klaus' island, I bet you a million dollars they still talk about how much stamina I have. And second," She stroked his neck and kissed it a few times. "Why go all the way to the kitchen to get blood when we can stay in here and have it? _Now_ who's ruining the mood?"

Elijah sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "You know I only am amenable to us sharing blood during the full moon when we're out and about but I-I suppose I could allow bloodsharing outside of that. Just to show you that I'm as conscious of your base wants and needs as any other man and you don't need to run off to beasts like Jack to be fulfilled."

"Well, I already knew that," Selina replied, pushing him against the wall and sinking her fangs into his neck. Then, when she came up for air, his blood dripping down her chin, she said, "the question is, do _you _realize by now that I don't need to run off to men like Jack or your brother anymore to be fulfilled? That you're the best guy I could possibly have?"

Elijah smiled as she licked the blood off his neck. "Yeah, I guess I need to realize that, don't I?"

"Yep," Selina nodded, her voice muffled cause her tongue was still moving along Elijah's skin. Once the blood was all gone from his neck, he picked her up, carried her to bed, and after throwing the covers over themselves, made the most of the time they had until Amanda returned home from school.

* * *

After Amanda got home from school (she'd driven her own car that day), she went in search of her mother (whom she had to ask for from the other side of her parents' closed bedroom door). Selina was relieved for a break from her and Elijah's day of sexy time fun, cause frankly, he was beginning to wear her out, since becoming a werewolf had made him as energetic as she was, and, possibly because he naturally repressed his own needs most of the time, even more so. She put on a bathrobe and stepped out into the hallway.

"What can I do you for?" She asked Amanda. "Does it involve you needing to go outside? Please say yes. I could use the fresh air. Your father and I have been inside all day."

"Actually, it does," Amanda nodded, so intent on her own thoughts that she didn't hear what Selina had said about her father. "I was wondering if you could take me to the mall and get me some nice clothes. You know, stuff like I would wear to a concert or something? I just want to look a bit more sophisticated. I was thinking it might help me catch the eye of the guy I like more than how I dress now does." She looked down at her jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers.

"Oh?" Selina asked. "Interesting. Hang on a minute." She dressed quickly, trying not to rouse Elijah, who'd finally fallen asleep. She left him a note on the bedroom door, and then she and Amanda headed to the mall to get her some nice clothes that would make her older man not be able to look away.

* * *

They went to the mall and found Amanda some skirts, slacks, blouses, and dresses in her size. Amanda then took the first load into a dressing room to try them on while Selina waited outside. Everything they tried on seemed to work, but as Amanda stepped out of the dressing room again, this time wearing a deep red dress with a v-neck that stopped just above her knees, she froze. Viktor was standing next to her mother and smiling just as widely.

"Doesn't she look nice, Viktor?" Selina remarked. "I love that red on her."

"Yes," Viktor nodded. He'd come to the mall to get a new suit tailored and then get something for Alexandra, which is how he'd come upon Selina. "I do as well." He then looked at Amanda. "Is that something you'd be wearing to school?"

"Well, it's not super fancy so…I suppose I could," Amanda nodded.

"I think you should," Viktor replied. "It'd be nice to see you in something a little different." He then looked at his watch. "I have to get home. I'll see you ladies tomorrow."

"All right," Selina replied and waved after him. "Goodnight, Viktor!"

"Night," Amanda added, although her voice was quiet enough that he most likely didn't hear her.

"Wasn't that pleasant having Viktor show up?" Selina smiled. "It's been awhile since we've seen him outside of class. And it was handy for him to be able to give an opinion on your clothes, cause I assume the boy you're buying them for has similar tastes to his?"

"Oh, yes," Amanda nodded, trying hard not to lose control of her breathing and give herself away. "That's really true."

"You think you have enough stuff for now?" Selina asked, looking at the pile of clothes. "Or do you want to look a little longer?"

"No, let's just go home," Amanda decided, picking up some of the pile and taking it to the checkout while Selina took the other half. "We can always come back later. This is all good for now."


	8. Enter The Wicked Witch

Amanda wore the red dress to school, and Viktor's eyes lit up when she walked in the room. He also kept his eyes on her during class and only looked away when he had to.

"I'm so glad you wore that dress today," Viktor commented to her after everyone had gone. "I was very pleased when your mother asked me to come look at your outfits."

"I bet you were expecting something a little more revealing, weren't you?" Amanda asked. "Nothing so sophisticated, since I'm just a teenage girl."

"Well, you're also your father's daughter," Viktor replied. "No doubt you inherited your taste from him."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "I guess."

"So…after school?" Viktor wanted to know.

"Actually, I have an extra soccer practice tonight," Amanda replied, just as Alexandra strode in and glared at both of them. And as she was about to open her mouth to speak, Amanda said, "Don't worry. I'm leaving. But before I go, just let me say that you have a good man for a husband and if you keep treating him like crap, you'll be sorry."

When she was gone, Viktor glared at Alexandra and said, "What in the world is wrong with you?"

Alexandra scoffed. "You're a married man and you're letting a teenager in a short dress hang around you after you're supposed to be done teaching her. How am _I_ the one with the problem?"

"Our whole marriage, you have controlled me," Viktor said. "You have picked what we do, who we saw, where we lived. We have next to no friends cause no one meets your standards, and I hate being your errand boy! So forgive me for wanting to be around someone who makes me feel good for a change and not like a giant tool!" He then strode out before Alexandra could say another word, surprised to find Amanda still loitering in the hallway. "You're gonna be late for class," he said.

"I know," Amanda nodded. "But with the Wicked Witch of the West hounding you, I wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you?"

"Yes, thank you," Viktor nodded and pushed back his hair. "I'm fine. You're so polite to ask."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "No problem, Mr. Larson." She then ran to her next class and Viktor hid out in the teacher's lounge to get away from his wife until Alexandra had to teach classes of her own.

* * *

"How was your class?" Selina asked Elijah as they cuddled up in the teacher's lounge a couple of periods later. (They were by themselves; it was the only way Elijah would allow it.)

"It was good, although one of my students is having a lot of difficulties and I'm not going to relish talking to her mother at conferences tomorrow," Elijah replied.

"Which student is the problem?" Selina wanted to know.

"Christine Sharp," Elijah replied. "You know, the one who always is in partnership with Eva Michelle?"

"She does very well in _my_ class," Selina remarked.

"Yes, but how hard is it to fail at baking?" Elijah remarked. Selina punched him in the shoulder and replied, "And tell me why it is again that the only things you know how to make are toast and coffee?"

"Those are the only things you'll _let_ me make!" Elijah replied.

"Because the one time I let you help me make cookies, you looked away from the oven for too long and took a business call," Selina pointed out. "You did, in fact, fail at baking."

"Maybe, but lucky for you, I have many other good qualities and talents," Elijah smiled.

"Yeah," Selina replied and kissed him. "It's a shame we're not at home cause I wouldn't mind you showing me some of your talents right now!"

"Well, the good news is that the school day is almost over," Elijah replied. "The bad news is that we have to get ready for conferences first, remember?"

"Oh, damn!" Selina swore. "That's gonna take like five million years!"

"If you would have just been organized, it would have taken you no time at all," Elijah chided. "It's really your own fault."

"Will you help me?" Selina asked and kissed his neck repeatedly. "Please, please, please?"

"Oh, all right," Elijah replied and gently eased her away, even though no one was coming to look at them. "I will. Just relax, all right?"

"Thank you," Selina replied. "I _knew _that you would if I used the right type of persuasion."

"The things I do for you," Elijah replied with a sigh and kissed her one more time.

* * *

Conference night was really easy for Selina. She enjoyed it because she got to tell parents about how well their children were doing, and she enjoyed the disgruntled looks on some of the fathers' faces when she told them that their sons really knew their way around a kitchen. While she was on a break, her eyes wandered over to Elijah, who was sitting at his table and in the middle of an intense conversation with a dark-haired woman whose back was to her, although the look on Elijah's face was very odd as he and she talked. Eventually, she stood up and left and then Elijah got up and ran to Selina's table.

"What's the matter?" Selina asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, I think. I was just talking to Christine's mother, Mrs. Sharp (she told me to call her Renee), and I was struck with the vague idea that I'd seen her somewhere before, but I can't for the life of me figure out where. This is just going to drive me crazy!"

"Could I help you perhaps?" Selina wanted to know. "What did she look like?"

"Oh, I don't think you would know," Elijah replied. "It'll just be up to me to figure out where the heck I know her from."

* * *

"You okay?" Will asked Amanda as they sat on the bench together after practice a couple of days. "You seemed a bit off today."

"Thanks for noticing," Amanda replied. "But I'm fine. Just a little stress at school." She looked up at a storm that seemed to be rolling in. "I hope my mother gets here soon," she said. It then began to rain and lightning and thunder pieced the sky.

"Whatever we do, we shouldn't stand under any trees!" Amanda cried as Will led her to take cover. "We could be struck by lightning!"

"I'm like Frankenstein," Will reminded her as his arm twitched involuntarily, a thing, he assured her, that was just a side effect of what had been done to him by his father. "Being struck by lightning could be good for me."

"Maybe, but it won't be good for _me_!" Amanda replied.

"Oh, all right," Will replied. They ran the distance to the school and stayed under the overhang of the roof until they heard the honk of Selina's car, and then sprinted all the way there with Will holding his jacket over Amanda's head so she would stay as dry as possible. Then, when they were in the car and driving away, Selina said, "I hope the weather didn't spoil practice."

"No, it happened after," Will replied.

"Good," Selina said. "And how's your father, Will? Have you and your mother heard anything?"

"We're gonna visit him tomorrow," Will told her. "And Mom says they might let him out soon on account of his good behavior."

"Well, that's wonderful," Selina told him. "I'm very happy for you."

"Thanks," Will told her. "I just hope my body doesn't do anything weird during the visit that will remind them just how bad of a thing Dad did and make them increase his time."

"Oh, I'm sure they won't," Selina assured the boy. "And why he was punished in the first place when all he wanted to do was save you is beyond me. It wasn't like you _intentionally _went and got mauled by that bear. And what parent who is as loving as your father is would not give their right arm or more to save their child?"

"Yeah," Will nodded. "The law really bites sometimes."

When they reached Will's house, Selina got out with him to briefly talk to Will's mother. "If you'd like me to make you anything for when you go visit your husband tomorrow, I'd be more than glad to," she said.

"You know, Frank always has loved your chocolate chip cookies," Will's mom said. "Would you have time to make up a batch of those?"

"Of course!" Selina nodded. "I'll bring them by later. No problem."

"Thank you," Will's mom replied and gave her a hug.

"Yeah, thank you, Ms. Warren," Will agreed. "You've made this whole thing a lot easier than it would have been."

"It's really no trouble," Selina told them. "I'm happy to do it." She got in the car and told Amanda, "Wanna help me bake the cookies that Will and his mom are gonna take when they go and visit his father tomorrow?"

"Sure," Amanda nodded. "As long as I get to eat some of the dough."

"Have I ever _not_ allowed you to do that?" Selina wanted to know.

"Good point," Amanda replied as they drove away.


	9. Everyone's Got A Secret

"It's very sweet of you to stick up for me with Alexandra, but it's no longer necessary," Viktor told Amanda during their next 'tutoring session'. "I can handle it."

"All right, I'll stop," Amanda promised. She wore a red rose in her dark hair, and, as she took off her red sweater, Viktor noticed that she was wearing a black dress with a sweetheart neckline.

"What in the world made you wear that?" Viktor asked. "It's too cold!" He came around his desk and advanced toward her, his fingers running lightly down her bare arms before he pulled her to himself and unzipped her dress. Viktor watched it fall to her feet, but before Amanda could kick it away, Viktor picked it up, zipped it up, and laid it across a chair.

"Just because we're sharing our feelings, it doesn't mean we have to ruin such a beautiful garment," he told her, and then ran his hands down her arms and kissed her neck. "But the body _under _the dress is much more beautiful."

"Well, thank you," Amanda replied as Viktor kissed her neck. "I'm glad you like it."

"Oh, I _more_ than like it," Viktor assured her. "I _love_ it." He switched from kissing to nibbling and Amanda asked, "Are you gonna bite me?"

"Only if you want me to," Viktor replied.

"Not yet," Amanda shook her head. "Maybe later, but not now."

"That's what I think too," Viktor nodded.

"But you can kiss me, though," Amanda assured him. "And touch me."

"Don't worry," Viktor assured her and kissed her as she wiggled out of her panties and he took her against the wall. As she cried out, he took her in his arms and whispered in her ear, "I won't bite you, I promise. But I really can't wait to do it."

They went on for a little longer and then, reluctantly, he looked up at the clock. "You probably have to go now."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "I do. But there's always next time."

"I suppose," Viktor nodded and gently caressed her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, you will," Amanda replied. "And…and don't let Alexandra get you down. You deserve better."

"Thank you," Viktor nodded. "I needed to hear that."

* * *

"What are _you_ so happy about?" Rosalie asked when Amanda came to meet her at her car. "_Please_ tell me. I could use a good story."

"Why?" Amanda asked her. "Did Uncle Klaus finally forbid you from hanging out with your human friend?"

"No, actually _he's _not the problem, surprisingly enough," Rosalie replied. "It was all Mom's fault. I compelled him to be nice to me because he hated me. Then Mom was all 'take the compulsion off. It's wrong. Don't listen to your father when he tells you crap like that'. And once I removed the compulsion, he…he left. And I doubt I'll ever see him again."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Amanda replied and hugged her cousin. "But you know you still have me. That's something, right?"

"Of course," Rosalie replied and gave her a hug. "Thank you." She then sniffed. "There's an interesting smell on you," she said. "Smells like a guy. Are you seeing someone and not telling me?"

Amanda swore under her breath and Rosalie smiled. "I thought so," she said. "So who is it? Do I know him?"

"No, you don't," Amanda replied. "And if you have to know, he wants to keep our relationship private, so it's no use being a big snoop. You're not gonna hear anything."

"Why would he want to keep your relationship secret?" Rosalie asked, ignoring this last statement from her cousin and going on with her questioning. "Is he someone Uncle Elijah wouldn't approve of?"

"No, Daddy would like him very much," Amanda replied. "Just not at the moment. Can we talk about something else, please?"

"Oh, all right," Rosalie sighed. "No need to be so short-tempered. Whoever he is, he smells very nice."

"Yeah," Amanda smiled. "He does, doesn't he?"

* * *

One night soon after, Elijah bolted up in bed, a realization hitting him. He finally realized where he'd seen Christine's mom: he'd had an affair with her during one of his and Selina's breaks from each other, after she'd been impregnated with a child of Klaus' that she'd later miscarried after an accident. It had crushed him so much that he'd considered leaving her forever. That's not how it ended up, but it had been a very bad time.

Now that he knew, he wondered how to handle it. Part of him said that telling Selina would be a good idea because they had a relationship based on honesty. But at the same time, he knew that she reacted badly to hearing about his exes, just like he did to hers. She still couldn't even spend an hour with Katherine without wanting to turn into a wolf and tear her to pieces. He didn't want that to happen to Renee and besides, what they had had was over now. Nothing was left of it. What would be the point of bringing it up now, when all it would do is cause trouble?

He heard a noise beside him and the bedroom light was turned on. "Are you okay?" Selina asked, her voice groggy as she kissed his cheek. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No, I'm fine," he told her and played with her hair for a bit. "I just realized where I'd seen Christine's mother before. It's nothing you need to worry about."

"Well, good," Selina yawned. "I'm gonna go back to sleep now, if that's all right with you. Goodnight." She turned off the light, collapsed back on her pillow, and soon, her even breathing told a very relieved Elijah that she'd nodded off again. He tried to have the same thing happen to him, but it didn't work. He got up, headed to the kitchen, and stayed there alone until his surprised wife and daughter found him when they came in for breakfast.

* * *

Christine was surprisingly well behaved in Elijah's class the next day during his lecture on the Black Death. It was when he split everyone up in pairs to discuss some reading he'd assigned that she finally veered off subject, and he heard her and Eva talking about something else.

"What's going on here, ladies?" He asked them. "Have you talked all you can about the reading?"

"With all due respect," Eva said, "Christine has something in her head that needs discussing much more than the reading."

"Is that so?" Elijah asked and pulled a seat up next to them. "Pray tell, what is it?"

"Do you think I can show him?" Christine asked. "Can he be trusted?"

"Of course!" Eva replied. "He could be a big help to you."

"We have to go out in the hallway," Christine said after a moment. "I don't want everyone to know. I need privacy."

"Well, my goodness," Elijah said as he followed them out the door. "What in the world is going on?"

"I'm gonna show you something that I've known about my whole life, but have never been able to tell anyone," Christine told him in a low voice. "But first, you have to do something like slap me."

"Or we could just go the obvious route," Eva told her. "It would be much less painful." She grabbed a kid who was passing by, held him and bit him. And then, to Elijah's surprise, when Christine saw the blood, her eyes changed, just like a vampire's did when they encountered blood, and she sported a definite set of fangs.

"Oh, my god," he said when everything had calmed down. "Christine, you're not a werewolf, are you?"

"Well, not completely," Christine admitted. "It's what I've always told everyone, though."

"Do you…do you realize how you came to be a vampire?" Elijah asked as Eva let the boy she'd grabbed go. So much for privacy.

"I always thought you had to be dead to be a vampire, and I knew that in my case, that couldn't be right, cause to my knowledge, I've never died," Christine said. "Then, I met Eva, and she said that I was a vampire because one of my parents was an Original vampire, like you. And it's obviously not my mom cause I know she's a werewolf, but…do you have any idea who my father might be? My real one, I mean. Not the werewolf who just had a heart attack and dropped dead."

"Yes," Elijah nodded with a sigh. "I think I do."


	10. Bad Reactions To Bad News

"You have got _a lot_ of explaining to do, Niklaus!" Elijah yelled at his brother after storming into his house.

"Why?" Klaus asked, staring. "What have I done now?"

"Well, I've just discovered you have another illegitimate child to account for," Elijah replied. "First Robbie, and now a girl in my class, Christine. She's lycanthropic in nature and just revealed to me that she has fangs! She's a vampire too, which makes the pool of candidates to be her father very small."

"Even so," Klaus shot back, "I'm not the only option, you know. I admit you and Selina have been very close over the years, but you haven't been around her every minute. There have been times when you've strayed."

"How _dare_ you?!" Elijah cried. "I admit that I had a relationship with her mother, but I couldn't _possibly _be her father!"

"Why not?" Klaus smiled. "You don't want to explain to your wife, one of the most notorious vampires ever, whose anger is triggered by infidelity, that you fathered a child with another woman? Is that why you're calling me the father?"

"Yes," Elijah's heart sank. "That."

Klaus chuckled. "I can't believe that after all these years you're still frightened of her. I wouldn't think that, brother."

"It's not that I'm frightened of her," Elijah corrected. "It's that I don't want to go through the sort of fighting that results from Selina and I facing each other in incidences like this. It's not pretty."

"Yes, and I'm sure that the angry sex that follows such fights is no fun either," Klaus said and then winked. "I'd go for it, brother. You should probably tell her as soon as possible. These things have a way of getting out, and you don't want her to think you lied or are keeping things from her."

"Oh, of course I'm nothing going to keep it from her," Elijah replied. "I just…I need time to gather my thoughts and figure out how I'm going to tell her."

"Good luck with that," Klaus said. "And once you and my new niece get to know each other, be sure to bring her over, all right? If she's a werewolf, I'd like to meet her."

"I don't _need_ to bring her here," Elijah replied. "Like I said, she's a student at my school. Rosalie could probably introduce you if you asked nice enough." He then left, and spent the car ride home, (including a detour for cookies, which weren't bribery for Selina; they were for him. He occasionally took part in stress eating when necessary, and this was _definitely_ necessary.) He pulled off the road and ate his cookies, then headed home.

* * *

Selina was just coming in the house after arriving home from school when the telephone rang. Seeing that it was Christine's mother, and believing that the woman had something else she wanted to talk about concerning conferences, she answered it.

"Hello, Mrs. Sharp, this is Ms. Warren. How many I help you? Do you have more questions about your daughter?"

"Actually yes," Christine's mother replied. "But the questions are for your husband. I don't think you'd be much help."

"He's not here right now," Selina replied. "Can I give him a message?"

"Okay," Christine's mother replied. "But the matter is a bit delicate. I wanted to tell him that he _is_ in fact, Christine's father; that memories weren't the only thing I walked away with after our affair ended."

"All right," Selina nodded, gripping the phone hard and speaking through her teeth. "I'll tell him." She put the phone down and when Elijah strode in the door, she let out a growl and pushed him against the wall. "When were you gonna tell me you were Christine's father, huh? Or were you just gonna keep it a secret forever and hope I wouldn't find out?" She then transformed and bit his leg, not letting go until he whacked her repeatedly with an umbrella, and then she let him go and slunk away as he hobbled in pain to the sofa and sat down.

As he healed, Selina, now human again, strode back into the kitchen and Elijah watched as she chain smoked a few cigarettes and downed an entire bottle of gin while rarely stopping to breathe. When he could finally stand up, he grabbed her. "You don't know what you're doing," he told her. "I know this is a shock to you, but there's no need to resort to your old self-destructive behaviors."

"Oh, shut up!" Selina snapped, aiming a clumsy punch in his direction and missing. "Don't you tell me how to feel! Especially after the crappy way you've been treating poor Jack for no reason. He's _not i_n love with me and he never will be, you territorial ass!"

Elijah picked her up then and put her over his shoulder. "You reek of gin," he told her and gave her bottom a slap. "I think you need to go to bed before you say or do anything else you'll regret."

"All right," Selina scoffed. "As long as you promise not to come in with me. I'd rather be alone."

"Oh, I'd be _more_ than happy to accommodate_ that_ request," Elijah replied. "Now, I'm going to go talk to Renee and sort this whole mess out, and then I'll go set myself up in the spare bedroom so you can sleep off what you drank in peace."

"Fine, whatever," Selina replied. "I don't care. Good night."

"Good night," Elijah replied, and slammed the door behind himself after he left the bedroom. He then sat in the living room with Amanda, engaging in light, innocuous chatter before telling her goodnight and heading to bed for the evening.

* * *

The next morning, Elijah called school and told them that he and Selina wouldn't be in. Then, he strode into his and Selina's bedroom where Selina lay in bed with the covers over her head.

"Good morning, darling," he said to her. "Why don't we get you in some sunlight instead of you just hiding under the covers like that, shall we?" He pulled off her blankets and then opened the curtains to let the light in and she let out a shriek as if the light would burn her any minute although she was wearing her protective ring.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Elijah replied, even though he didn't feel sorry at all. "Is the light bothering you because you were foolish enough to drink an entire bottle of gin last night and now you're hungover?" He turned on the bedroom light and she cried out again.

"My god, will you _stop_?" She yelled. "I feel bad enough already and you're only making it worse."

"Oh, am I making you feel bad?" Elijah asked. "You nearly bit off my leg last night and then made the choice to get drunk instead of talking through this whole Christine situation like a reasonable person and you expect me to feel _sorry_ for you now?"

"Well, why not?" Selina asked. "You cheated on me and let me hear about it from someone else! You should have told me yourself."

"I found out about the same time you did," Elijah replied. "Otherwise I _would _have told you before you found out like you did."

"Will you apologize now?" Selina wanted to know. "I think that would be best, and then we can move on and figure out how to deal with this. But first, I'd like some coffee and that stuff you give me whenever I drink too much. My head is killing me!"

"Apologize first, and then I'll get you what you need," Elijah said firmly.

"What have I got to apologize for?" Selina wanted to know. "_I'm _the wronged party here! _I_ was the one who was cheated on!"

"Would you like to know when my relationship with Renee happened? It was right after Father released me from a six year captivity in a coffin because he was upset about my relationship with a certain someone," Elijah said. "I was released and all I could think about was seeing you and seeing our children. But instead, what do I find? You marrying my brother and pregnant with his child! If you hadn't miscarried, I'd have left and you'd never have seen me again!"

"I did what I did with Klaus because I was lonely and I had no idea when you would be coming back!" Selina replied. "I bet that's why you had sex with Renee too. You were lonely, just like me."

Elijah grabbed her arms then, squeezing hard and leaning in close so that they were nose to nose. Selina couldn't remember the last time she'd seen his gaze be as stormy as it was now. "Do you realize how much I've risked and given up to be with you?" He growled. "My relationship with my father was nearly destroyed because I chose to forsake my loyalty to him to rescue you and make sure _you_ were all right. If you hadn't been on good terms with my family, I would have been cut off from them completely! Now, I don't regret it, of course, but doesn't that tell you how much I value you? Don't I deserve your unquestioned loyalty in return for all that I've given you? Or have you never cared about me as much as I have about you? Come on now. Be honest."

Selina's eyes were wide with shock now, her mouth opening and closing rapidly. She'd never thought of their relationship this way, and now she wasn't sure what to say that wouldn't make her sound like a total ass. Trying to ignore her throbbing head, she said at last, "I'm sorry, Elijah. I'm sorry I let my temper get the best of me so that I hurt you and treated you in way that doesn't at all reflect the way I feel about you. And I _swear_ that from now on, I will deal with this whole Christine thing in a mature and responsible manner because what you had with her mother was in the past, and you're all _mine_ now."

"Damn right," Elijah replied. "I'll be getting your coffee and hangover remedy now that you've given me a satisfactory apology."

He left and Selina cursed herself for not asking that whatever he was feeling about Jack be put in the bargain. Then she decided that it was probably best not to bring that up. At least not now. He was probably still pissed at her, and there was no need to make it worse.

* * *

When he brought her drinks in, she had a smile for him and, after downing them and putting the empty glasses on her night table to be taken away, gave him a long hug before consenting to be tucked in and spend the rest of the day in bed. This submissive behavior seemed to calm Elijah down somewhat and he even gave her a touch on the shoulder and a kiss on the cheek before he told her to let him know if she needed anything. Then, he turned off the light, shut the door, and left her to rest in peace.

* * *

"I have to tell you something," Amanda said to Viktor when she came into his room over the lunch hour the next day. He usually ate alone and he'd told all his students at the beginning of the year that if they needed to talk to him about something, it was one of the times they could do it.

"What is it?" Viktor asked and then offered Amanda some French fries before throwing his empty burger wrapper in the trash. "Are you all right?"

"You have to stop wearing that cologne," Amanda said.

"Why?" Viktor asked and sniffed his collar. "Don't you like it? It's one I'm rather fond of."

"It's nice, but my cousin Rosalie smelled it on me and she's curious!" Amanda cried. "She asked me who I'm seeing and I don't know what to tell her."

"Well, surely I'm not the only man who likes this scent," Viktor said calmly. "Just tell her that the man you're with is from another school and it will be impossible for her to meet him."

"Yeah, okay," Amanda nodded. "That's a good idea. But here's the problem: she's got werewolf heritage and an excellent sense of smell. She'll smell it on you and connect it to what scent was on me. She's gonna figure it out. Either we stop things right now, or you change cologne!"

"Well, I think that if those are my only two options, it's obvious which one I'll go with," Viktor said and came over to embrace her. "But I really think you're worrying about nothing. Everything will be fine."

"But Alexandra already suspects!" Amanda cried, her voice shrill. "If _she_ knows, how long until the knowledge spreads? Hell, for all we know, the whole fucking _school_ could know about us. I know you think I'm being unreasonable, but…I think, at least for awhile, until Rosalie finds other ways to entertain herself, we should keep our relationship professional, so to speak. I'm sorry, I know that condemns you to a life of horribleness with Alexandra, but-"

"Can we just give it a couple more days?" Viktor asked as he held her face in his hands. "Maybe this thing with Rosalie was a fluke, and you don't want to ruin a good thing over a fluke, do you?"

"No," Amanda shook her head. "I don't."

"And I swear, the second it seems like Rosalie or anyone else is on to us, we'll end things," Viktor promised. "Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes," Amanda replied. "I-I guess it is."

"Well, then," Viktor sprayed some breath freshener in his mouth. "Now that I've finished my lunch, you want to make the most of what little time we have?"

"Sure," Amanda nodded. "Why not?"

He then picked her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as he kissed her. She could feel a bulge under his suit pants against her bare legs. He then carried her over and braced her against the wall so he could push up her skirt and stroke her panties as she moaned, but the ringing of the bell stopped them from going any further. It startled Viktor so much that he dropped Amanda on her butt and she got to her feet muttering about a bruised tailbone.

"Sorry," Viktor apologized.

"It's all right," Amanda sighed. "And remember what I said about Rosalie. Be careful."

"Don't worry," Viktor promised. "I will."


	11. Welcome To The Family

"_Viktor_?!" Rosalie cried as Amanda confirmed who she was with after a lot of badgering from her cousin and then let out a relieved breath as the weight of carrying the secret was lifted. "How did you manage that?"

"We got to talking and it turned out he liked me, and I like him too," Amanda replied.

"Is he gonna give you better marks because you're sleeping with him? Dad wants me to date a werewolf now that Aaron and I aren't friends anymore. Do you think that the gym teacher is a good prospect? He's hot as hell, isn't he?" Rosalie wanted to know.

"Yes about him being hot, but for everything else, _no,_" Amanda cried. "Your mother would be horrified and you know it. My father will be too, when he finds out about Viktor and me. Which is why you have to keep your mouth shut. Don't tell my dad."

"Come on," Rosalie said. "How often do I talk to your father?"

"Good point," Amanda nodded. "Okay, then don't tell your father either, cause he'll tell mine, and that'll ruin everything."

"This was a mutual decision between the two of you, right?" Rosalie wanted to know while neglecting to mention that she _had_ mentioned it to Klaus, but without specifics. "Viktor didn't like, force you or anything?"

"No," Amanda shook her head. "I told him I wanted it. And besides, I'm almost eighteen. No one can complain then. Well, they can, but they won't be able to do anything about it." She smiled and Rosalie clapped her on the shoulder. "Look at you, being all scheming and deceitful. I didn't think you were capable of it."

"Oh, I am in the right circumstances," Amanda replied. "Like the one I'm in now, for example."

"Well, of course," Rosalie nodded. "Naturally."

"So you won't tell our fathers?" Amanda wanted to know. "That's very important."

"I won't, don't worry," Rosalie promised. "I'm no snitch, especially about something that involves you having the first fun you've probably ever had in your life."

"Thanks," Amanda smiled. "You're the best."

"I know," Rosalie smiled. "And thank you for noticing."

Amanda headed off to her next class then, and as the day went on and she thought more and more about the consequences of Rosalie knowing about her and Viktor, she came to a decision, something she didn't really like or want, but something that had to be done.

* * *

When she came to Viktor's room after school, he came to embrace her, but she held him at a distance.

"I think I wanna try and initiate things with you today, if you don't mind," she told him. "Will that bother you?"

"No, I don't think it will," Viktor replied with a smirk before sitting down in his desk chair and putting his feet up on the desk. "Proceed."

"Hey, don't you do that sexy smirky thing with me," Amanda said. "I'm supposed to be in control of this, not you!"

"All right," Viktor replied seriously, although there was still a twinkle in his eye. "Sorry." He kept his eyes on her as, flushing slightly, she came over to kiss him and run her fingers through his hair. Then she unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it on the floor, her hands running slowly over his shoulders as she kissed down his neck. She was nervous as hell about what she was doing, but she didn't want to break the mood and ask him if he liked what she was doing. When she stopped kissing him, she pulled away and stared. Then, swearing under her breath, she just decided to go for it. She wiggled out of her panties, kissed him again while unzipping his pants, and then got in his lap, her legs wrapped around his waist as he pushed up her skirt and stroked her thighs while pushing deep inside her.

When they finally pulled away from each other, Viktor moved some of Amanda's hair out of her eyes and smiled. "What brought this on? Not that I didn't like it, but it was unexpected."

"It was to cushion the blow of what I'm about to tell you," Amanda said and held onto him. "Rosalie knows about us, and even though she's sworn not to say anything to anyone, it'd still be a risk for us to carry on, wouldn't it? That's why I think we should end things now, at least for a little while." She paused. "Don't get me wrong. I don't _want _to stop at all, but…"

"No, no, no," Viktor replied and let her off his lap before zipping up his pants. "You don't need to explain. I understand. And I think you're right. I think…I think it's about time we stopped and you…you were with boys your own age. They'll do a hell of a lot more for you than I am."

"Oh, I doubt that," Amanda replied and grabbed her panties. After putting them on, she kissed his cheek. "See you in class tomorrow, Viktor. I can't say I'll behave myself, but I'll try."

"All right," Viktor nodded. "I can't wait."

Amanda then walked out the door and shut it behind her while Viktor paced around the room, unsure whether he was more relieved or upset that this thing with Amanda was over.

* * *

"I can't believe we're doing this," Christine told Eva as her friend urged her back to Elijah's classroom during her free period the next day. "It's not exactly subtle to stride up to my teacher and ask him if he's really my father. Mom said so the other day and I don't know why she would lie. I'm not failing in school bad enough that she'd have to bribe one of my teachers to say he's my father so he'll give me a better grade."

"No, it's not a lie," Eva replied. "If you've never died and you have fangs, you definitely come from one of my great uncles, or my grandfather. And once that's all confirmed, you and I will be related. Think about it!"

With Eva urging her on, Christine headed into Elijah's room, strode up to his desk where he was reading a book, and just blurted out, "My mother says you're my dad. Is that true?"

Elijah was silent as he put his book down, and then looked Christine in the eye. "Is that what your mother told you?" He asked.

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "It was. And I have no idea why she would tell me you were if you weren't."

Elijah opened his mouth to explain more, but then noticed that Eva was listening intently a few steps away. "Don't you have something else you could be doing with yourself other than eavesdropping on things that aren't your business?" He asked her.

"I could," Eva nodded. "But I don't want to."

"Why the hell not?" Elijah wanted to know.

"Cause I want to be here when my friend is brought into our family," Eva replied, pulling Christine against her. "I don't see what's so wrong with that."

"This is a private matter between Christine and myself that doesn't involve you," Elijah explained, trying to keep a grip on his patience. "You'll hear about it later, I promise."

"Fine, I'll go," Eva replied. "But I'm telling Grandpa Mikael that you didn't let me stay in here!"

"You do that!" Elijah called after her just before she slammed the classroom door closed. "I don't really care!"

"What does it matter if she tells her grandfather about this?" Christine wanted to know.

"Her grandfather is my father," Elijah replied. "And he has a tendency to judge me pretty harshly for the things I do."

"That's really rough," Christine replied. "Will he be upset when he finds out about me and your relationship with my mom?"

"I don't know," Elijah sighed. "But it doesn't really matter if he is or not. I'll accept you anyway."

"What about Ms. Warren?" Christine wanted to know. "She was very cool to me when I came into class today."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Elijah replied. "She and I both have issues about dealing with each other's exes, and we fight about it on occasion. In fact, the relationship with your mother and your subsequent conception happened because I was away from my wife for awhile, and when I returned, she was marrying my brother and pregnant with his child."

"Wow, that's really rough," Christine replied. "I mean, She always seems so nice when she's teaching us to bake in class, but based on that picture of the dead guy she showed everyone to make the boys behave, Ms. Warren's got a bit of a dark side, doesn't she?"

"Indeed she does," Elijah replied. "But don't let that worry you. I'm sure that once she's given some time, she'll accept you as part of our family just like I am."

"It…it might take some time before I'm ready to officially be part of the family," Christine confessed. "This is all so new and weird. I hope that doesn't bother you."

"Oh, no," Elijah shook his head. "I completely understand."

"Good," Christine nodded. "I think…I think I'm gonna go now."

"All right," Elijah replied. "See you in class later, I hope."

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "You will. I promise."

* * *

It was after she finished class that Selina headed down to the empty gym and called on Jack. She wasn't even sure why she was going. She'd promised Elijah that she was as committed to him as he was to her. It was because she wanted to be a good friend, she decided at last. Jack's circle of friends was expanding, but not by much.

"Jack!" She called. "I brought cookies for you so you'll have energy when you and kids run around."

"Well, aren't you sweet?" Jack remarked as he exited the equipment room, strode up to her, and took a cookie, his bare, muscular arms showing despite the fact that the gym was chilly. "I've been feeling a little run down."

"I thought you would," Selina smiled. "I hope you like chocolate chip."

"Oh, I do," Jack replied, swallowing his cookie and kissing her hand. "I really do love…sweet things."

Selina felt nothing as his lips left her hand. That was a good sign. But just to check…she kissed him and when she pulled away from his shocked face, she cheered internally. She'd _still_ felt nothing. It meant that even her mating instincts were still honed on her husband and that was a very good thing. Of course, if Christine's mother tried to steal Elijah away, that might change, but for now, she could walk proudly to her husband with her head held high, and assure him that despite there being an extremely hot werewolf gym teacher around, she loved him and him alone.

But she didn't count on Jack. As she waited for Elijah in the car at the end of the day, she stared out the window, and then gasped in shock as she watched Jack try and tackle Elijah in the parking lot as he made his way toward the car. She stared for a few seconds and then got her wits about her, got out of the car, and ran over to them just as Elijah, his whole body shaking with anger and his fangs bared, reached into Jack's chest and took hold of his heart without taking it out of his body. "You listen to me, werewolf," he warned, his breathing heavy. "Selina is _mine, _do you understand? And I won't have some son of a bitch try and steal her away from me! You try again, and I _will_ kill you. Have I made myself clear?"

"Go fuck yourself," Jack replied.

Elijah was just about to pull out Jack's heart and crush it when Selina finally pulled herself out of the shock of seeing him angry enough to kill and said, "Elijah, enough! Let him go."

"I can't," Elijah said without looking at her. "Can't you see? He has designs on you! I can't just let him live!"

"Yes, you can!" Selina insisted. "And you know why? Cause I feel nothing for him! Absolutely nothing."

"You're probably only saying that so I'll spare his life," Elijah replied, and started to pull at the heart he held, causing Jack to cry out.

"No, really!" Selina said, knowing that what she was about to say was a dangerous thing to confess in Elijah's current mood. "I…he kissed me and I didn't feel anything. Then, just to be sure, I kissed _him_, and I _still_ felt nothing!"

"You kissed him?" That finally got Elijah to redirect his anger, just like she thought it would. He let go of Jack's heart and the werewolf ran for his life while Selina nodded.

"I did," she confessed. "Just so I'd be able to tell you for sure that you have nothing to worry about regarding my loyalties. And if Christine's mother gets it into her head to marry you, I'm just gonna fight for you even harder. I hope you're ready for that."

"Don't worry," Elijah replied. "I have been ever since she called and made you so mad you bit my leg. Just promise you won't kill her. Let's go home, shall we?"

"I'll try not to let Christine's mother bother me," Selina replied as they walked to the car. "But I'm not promising anything."


	12. The Unholy Alliance

"I'm so glad you and I have a chance to talk about things," Christine's mother, Renee, told Elijah as she let him into her house. "Christine told me you and she had a talk, and…" She trailed off when she saw Selina follow Elijah a minute or so later. "Would you go back to the car, please?" She asked. "This thing with our daughter is a private situation between your husband and me."

"Oh, no way," Selina shook her head. "If you think I'm leaving your single self alone with him, you are sorely mistaken."

"Elijah, would you mind?" Renee asked, gesturing.

"No, I won't," Elijah said firmly. "Selina is my wife and she needs to be part of this."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "The needs of the actual wife take precedence over the wants of the one-night fling. Sorry!" Then she blew a raspberry in Renee's direction.

"I told you that you could come in with me if you acted maturely," Elijah remonstrated. "That's not maturity."

"You're right," Selina cleared her throat. "I apologize."

"Good," Elijah nodded. All three of them sat down then, with Elijah asking Renee, "Do you and Christine have any thoughts about what we should do now?"

"None that I can think of," Renee replied and took his hand. "But when I think of some, maybe the two of us can go to dinner and discuss them?"

"All right," Elijah nodded. "But I don't think it would be a good idea for us to have dinner alone. Selina, would you like to come too?"

Selina thought a moment: on the one hand, this really wasn't her business and it would be better if she stayed out of it because it would show that she trusted Elijah. On the other, she had a single woman who was very intent on snatching Elijah for herself proposing that they have dinner together, and who _knew_ what sort of crap she would try and pull if not watched closely? Finally, though, she came to a decision.

"I don't need to come," she said. "If Renee is right about anything, it's that this is a matter between the two of you that doesn't need my input. So you two go out to dinner and make your arrangements, then Elijah can tell me about them when he gets home."

"Are you sure?" Elijah asked, feeling a little shocked. "Because we'd be more than happy to have you come with us."

"No," Selina shook her head. "This is a matter for the two of you to talk about, and it's really none of my business."

"Thank you for understanding," Renee smiled. "We might just be able to be friends after all."

"Oh, I wouldn't go that far," Selina replied, giving her a very forced smile. "Civility is all you'll ever get from me."

* * *

On the night that he and Renee had chosen to go out, Elijah asked Selina one more time if she'd like to come with.

"Are you nervous that Renee will hit on you and want to use me as a chaperone?" Selina asked him. "Is that why you keep wanting me to come?"

"Of course not," Elijah assured her. "I'm completely confident in my ability to fend off any unwanted advances that she might make. But it hurts me to think of you sitting here all night and worrying yourself when you don't need to."

"That's nice," Selina told him. "But I'm trying to be more trusting and show that I'm as committed to you as you are to me, and I think this is a good way to start. So you just go along and do what you need to do, and I'll see you when you get back."

"All right," Elijah nodded, still not entirely convinced that her plan would work. "Whatever you say. You have a good night."

"Oh, I will," Selina called after him. "You don't need to worry about me."

"All right. I'll be back soon, I promise," Elijah told her and gave her a long look as if he didn't want to forget her face before taking her in his arms and giving her a long hug and a deep kiss and then striding from the house with the demeanor of a soldier going off to war.

Once the door had closed behind him, Selina tried to find ways to occupy herself so she wouldn't be thinking of Elijah being at a restaurant with another woman. She paced around the house restlessly, ripped a pillow in half, flipped TV channels for several minutes, and then finally called her and Elijah's eldest son Gregory (also known as the best substitute for her husband when Elijah wasn't around) and asked him to come over.

"Not that I wouldn't be happy to," he said. "But why? Are you and Father having problems?"

"Nothing is wrong, but he's at dinner with another woman," Selina got out. "I'll explain more when you get here."

"All right," Gregory replied, sounding a little tired. "I'll be there soon."

* * *

But when Gregory arrived, Selina was dismayed to see that he wasn't alone. He'd brought his wife (and Selina's archenemy) with him.

"What did you have to bring her for?" Selina cried when she saw Katherine's smirking face as she followed Gregory inside. "You said you would come alone."

"I said I would come," Gregory told her patiently. "The stipulation that I come alone was never made."

"Well, it was implied!" Selina said. "When it comes to _her,_ you coming alone is _always_ implied."

"Relax," Katherine told her. "I didn't come to cause trouble. What's this about Elijah going on a date?"

"It's _not_ a date," Selina said sharply. "He just found out that he has another daughter to think about, and he and her mother are discussing how to handle it. That's why I didn't go. It's none of my business."

"And you wonder why you've lost men all your life," Katherine sighed. "It's cause you don't fight for them."

"I try, but Elijah's pointed out that the way I do it with him is annoying and I'm trying to better myself," Selina informed her.

"Well, isn't that _noble_?" Katherine asked.

"Yes," Selina got out. "I really think it is."

"But you've been having some difficulties, I see," Gregory picked up the torn pillow, watching as stuffing fell to the floor.

"Are you_ really_ that worried about Elijah straying?" Katherine wanted to know.

"Well, the part of me that thinks logically isn't," Selina replied. "But you know, the werewolf side gets territorial and just ruins things."

"This will probably sound weird coming from me, but I don't think you have anything to worry about," Katherine told her. "Letting Elijah handle this on his own probably made him have some respect for you. I know I told you that you didn't fight enough, but I was only teasing. You do what you think is right, even though I think you're wrong."

"Well, thank you," Selina nodded. "That's very good of you to admit."

"What's she like?" Katherine wanted to know. "The woman who's trying to steal Elijah away?"

"Now, Katerina, we don't know if she's trying to steal him away," Gregory said. "Don't start trouble where there isn't any."

"First of all, she's_ not_ causing trouble where there isn't any," Selina told her son as Katherine's words began to work her up again. "Any person with eyes could see that she wanted to get her mitts in him. She did a crappy job of hiding it, even when I was standing right there!"

"_Seriously_?" Katherine cried, standing up. "She did all that and you just let Elijah go out to dinner with her _alone_? Have you lost your _mind_? It's like I have to do everything around here! Get up and grab your purse. Do you know where they went? We'll take Gregory's car!"

"Okay!" Selina replied. "What should we do when we get there? And just so you know, the woman is an inactive werewolf. I'm not sure if that changes things any, but…"

"It means that if there has to be any taking down of her physically, you'll be the one doing it," Katherine got out. "You get me?"

"Yeah, I got you," Selina replied. Katherine then strode back to her husband and demanded his keys.

"Why can't you just take Mother's car?" He asked.

"Cause Elijah will recognize that!" Katherine cried. "He'll be less suspicious if we take ours. Can I have the keys, please?"

"Oh, all right," Gregory sighed. "But just let the records show that I don't think you're handling this the right way."

"And that," Katherine said, "is exactly why we're _not_ inviting you to come with us."

With the keys in Katherine's manicured grip, she and Selina left the house, and a stunned Gregory looked out the window to check for the presence of flying pigs, cause that was the only way he could think of that his mother and his wife would willingly work together.

* * *

"So the plan is that Christine, following her agreement, will come and stay with me and my wife on the weekends," Elijah told Renee. "That's the deal?"

"I think it's a good way to start," Renee agreed. "Don't you? Unless of course, you were to leave your wife and come live with me. Then we could all be together as a family."

"I can't consider that," Elijah replied. "I'm happily married."

"Are you sure?" Renee asked. "Cause when we met, you didn't seem so happy."

"Well, now I am," Elijah replied. "I promise you."

"I'm sure I could make you change your mind," Renee insisted. "If you just…" She then let out a cry as she was yanked away from Elijah, thrown to the floor, and got Selina's heel in her back.

"Good job," Katherine praised her. "I wasn't sure you'd be able to do it."

"She was about to kiss him, so how the hell could I not?" Selina wanted to know.

"Good point," Katherine replied.

"Elijah," Renee got out in a pained voice. "What's going on? I can't see a thing!"

"You should be real proud of yourself," Katherine told her once she was able to look both her and Selina in the eye. "I've never even liked this woman and you have me working with her. Even my husband was shocked. Now, it's all well and good for _me_ to try and steal Elijah from her, because I saw him first, but if you think you can just show up at her house and steal her husband because you have a kid with him, you're sorely mistaken. That's _my_ job and I don't like being displaced!"

"How come you're not sticking your heel in _her_ back, then?" Renee demanded of Selina.

"Cause I _have_ to tolerate her for the sake of family harmony," Selina replied. "I don't have any obligation to do the same for you. Now, I understand that since Elijah fathered Renee, we'll have to allow you in our lives to a degree, but I will _not_ tolerate you trying to steal my husband. Do you understand?"

"Okay, enough!" Elijah got up and helped Renee to her feet. "Don't _I_ get to have a say in this?"

"It was her idea!" Selina said, immediately selling Katherine out. "I'm just the muscle!"

"But you agreed to go along with it," Elijah said. "I asked you if you wanted to come along tonight and you told me that you didn't need to. I'm very disappointed in you."

"Don't you talk to her like that!" Katherine cried, pulling Selina to herself. "Here is a woman who at one point was so mistrustful of men that she murdered a whole bunch of them. Tonight, she trusted you, and you decided to go out with a woman who was putting her lips and her grubby werewolf hands all over you. If we hadn't come when we did, she probably would have gotten you drunk and dragged you off to get married before you knew what was happening, and then you would have gone with it cause it was part of your honor code not to abandon a woman who's your wife. She stuck up for herself tonight and she didn't murder her rival. You should be proud of her. You should be begging her forgiveness. After all you've put her through tonight the _last_ thing you have the right to feel toward her is disappointment. We're not leaving until you apologize."

Elijah noticed that everyone else in the restaurant was staring at them and whispering, so just to make them go, he apologized. Katherine didn't feel the first time was sincere enough, so she made him do it twice more until she was satisfied. Then she spit in Renee's drink and wished her and Elijah a pleasant dinner before ushering Selina to the bar to have victory drinks on her.

* * *

It wasn't long after Amanda and Viktor's breakup that Elijah invited him to join the family for dinner one Friday night.

"I have to thank you for doing this," he said as Elijah ushered him inside. "Alexandra was going out tonight and I wasn't looking forward to being alone."

"Oh, no problem," Elijah assured him, then turned and called for Amanda.

"What's up?" She asked when she appeared in the living room. Then her eyes widened when she saw Viktor and she made to leave, but Elijah stopped her. "Where are you going?" He asked. "Viktor came as a guest for dinner and I'd appreciate it if you'd entertain him while your mother and I got out and get groceries. Would you do that?"

"Oh, sure," Amanda nodded, knowing full well that she couldn't say anything else. "Okay."

"Good," Elijah nodded. "Thank you."

He and Selina left then, and when the door closed behind them, Amanda turned to Viktor and said, "So what would you like to do now?"

"Well, I don't know. We're in your parents' house, so I don't know if our usual activities are a good idea."

"Why not?" Amanda wanted to know. "They've left!"

"But I don't think they'll be gone for very long," Viktor pointed out. "We don't want to be caught in a compromising position."

"Daddy's always really picky about groceries and stuff," Amanda said. "Trust me, they'll be gone awhile. Enough time for a fun game, I think." She went and got some cards. "You any good at strip poker?"

"No," Viktor shook his head. "I'm afraid I've never played."

"It's not hard at all," Amanda assured him. She told him about the different hands, then dealt out the cards. "The loser of each hand has to remove an item of their clothing," she added with a wink. "That's the fun part."

* * *

Things were slow going for Viktor at first, and after five hands, he was without shoes, socks, and tie. Then Amanda lost a few hands, which was really good for Viktor since she wasn't wearing much in the first place (just a dress and some heels) so at the end of her third lost hand, she was already in her underwear.

"All right," He said as he stared at her. "I think I've had enough. Put your cards down."

"But we still have so many hands to play!" Amanda complained.

"I don't think I'll last that long," he said, crawling over to her, taking her in his arms, and unhooking her bra as he kissed her. "You get what I mean?"

They managed to go on for a little bit before Viktor realized that Elijah and Selina could be back any minute and that it wouldn't do to have them find him with his shirt off and his pants unzipped while he embraced their naked daughter. He ordered her to dress while he did the same, and when Selina and Elijah returned home, all they saw was Viktor and Amanda playing go fish as if nothing else had happened.

* * *

"Oh, my god," Christine said as Eva led her into Roxie's. "I'm so relieved to be here and away from all the overwhelming new relatives I have." She sat down at the bar and ordered a Coke, something that Roxie was more than happy to give her. Eva let her drink it and when it was gone and another one was ordered, she said, "Would it be a bad time to mention that you're related to Roxie here?"

"What?" Roxie asked. "What's going on?"

"Christine here is Uncle Elijah's daughter," Christine explained.

"Does my mom know about this?" Roxie asked.

"Yeah," Eva nodded. "She's still adjusting to the idea, though."

"Who's your mom?" Christine wanted to know.

"Ms. Warren," Eva explained. "She had kids with both your dad and my grandpa, and Roxie is one of the kids with my grandpa."

"Yeah, but don't worry," Roxie replied and pushed a shot of vodka in Christine's direction. "I won't force you to be chummy with me or anything. I'm just here to pour drinks."

"Actually," Christine replied, "You're probably one of the few family members I'm not the least bit terrified to get to know better."

"Well, isn't that interesting?" Roxie smiled. "Usually, I terrify everyone!"

"I bet you're exaggerating," Christine replied and took a swig of her drink.

"She is," Vince said, coming out of the break room and embracing Roxie from behind as he kissed her neck. "Well, _now_ she is. But there was a time when that wasn't so true…"

"And yet you still liked me anyway," Roxie smiled, turned around, and kissed him. When they pulled apart, she said, "Vince, this is my new cousin Christine. Christine, this is my husband Vince."

"Hi," Christine waved. "I'm new to the family."

"I've been there," Vince told her. "It's not as bad as you think."

"I don't know," Christine replied. "Mom went out with Mr. Mikaelson to talk about when I was going to come stay with him and Ms. Warren and another one of his old girlfriends showed up at the restaurant and attacked her."

"Is that so?" Roxie asked. "Did she die?"

"No, Mom's fine, but it was a real shock to her," Christine replied.

"Mom must be really off her game if she saw your mom as a threat and kept her alive," Roxie mused.

"Or maybe your mother has matured," Vince suggested. "It happens to everyone."

"Do you think I should worry about Ms. Warren wanting to kill me?" Christine asked.

"No, you'll be fine," Roxie assured her. "It's_ your mother_ you'll need to worry about."

"Is she serious?" Christine eyed Eva. "Tell me she's not."

"I'd have to ask my Grandpa to be sure," Eva replied. "But I think she is. I'd watch out for your mom if I were you."

"Okay," Christine nodded. "I will."


	13. The New Boy

"I want you to understand that it's not _you_ I distrust," Selina told Elijah patiently. "It's that Renee! Can't you see how evil she is?"

"Well, I don't think that 'evil' is the right term, but she's definitely not the type to take 'no' for an answer," Elijah replied. "But if you ever are worried, you can call your new best friend, Katherine."

"Were you shocked to see us ganging up on you?" Selina asked. "I called Gregory to come over and calm my mind when you and Renee were out, and he ended up bringing Katherine too. I was dismayed at first, but it turned out all right."

"Yes, I suppose it did," Elijah replied. "But will I have to worry about any more malice toward Renee from you two in the future?"

"I think we both need to admit that we're very territorial about each other when it comes to feeling like our relationship will be threatened," Selina replied. "I mean, you were worried about Jack, and you nearly killed him in the high school parking lot. I was worried about Renee, and I tackled her to the ground. It happens. It's part of our werewolf nature, and, unfortunately, something I don't think we can stop completely, although we can sure try." She paused. "How's this: if she leaves me alone, I'll leave her alone. Is that good enough?"

"I would prefer there be no fighting at all, especially when she comes this weekend, but if you still feel the need to defend what you see as your territory against her, I suppose I can't stop you."

"Thank you for understanding!" Selina replied. "You're the best!"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I know."

* * *

"Now be honest, Mom," Christine said as Renee brought her to Elijah and Selina's for her first weekend visit. She paused to stare in awe at the size of the house and then turned back to her mother. "Did you do anything at all to piss Ms. Warren off and deserve the ass-kicking her and her friend gave you?"

"No!" Renee shook her head, her dark eyes flashing. "I merely proposed that Elijah and I get back together so you can have two parents again…and his wife took it the wrong way."

"Well, what a big surprise," Christine said. "Look, I know you miss Dad, but going after Mr. Mikaelson is not the answer. I don't need a full time father, even if you need a full-time husband. You'll find someone. Just not in this house."

She knocked on the door then and Selina opened it, ushering her inside before slamming it in Renee's face.

"Hello," Selina smiled, ignoring Renee's persistent knocking. "Welcome to our house. Can I get you anything?"

"Is that Christine?" Elijah called and came to join them. "And what in the world is that annoyingly persistent knocking?" He opened the door and Renee said, "Thank you very much. Your wife wouldn't let me inside!"

"Well, I thought that it was nice of her to bring Christine, but I didn't want to keep her from other things she had to do," Selina explained.

"That's very thoughtful of you, but I'm sure it wouldn't hurt anyone to have Renee stay for a few minutes." He eyed her meaningfully. "Would it?"

"No," Selina shook her head, a smile pasted on her face. "Of course not." Then, she said through her teeth, "Renee, can I get you anything?"

"Some coffee would be nice, if you have it," Renee replied, a smirk on her face.

"You know what?" Christine said, "why don't I come with you and help, Ms. Warren?"

"Aren't you sweet?" Selina replied as they both headed into the kitchen.

"I have to apologize for my mother," Christine said immediately as she rooted around in the cupboard for a coffee cup while Selina made the coffee. "She's usually this territorial with men. It's a werewolf thing."

"Oh, I know," Selina replied. "I've got werewolf blood too."

"You do?" Christine asked, turning as her eyes widened. "If you mentioned that in class, I've completely forgotten."

"Yes," Selina nodded. "And unlike your mother, I'm active. Active and, thanks to some very powerful witches, able to turn whenever I please. Not that I would kill her or anything, cause I promised Elijah I would be on my best behavior, but it's something to think about."

They made the coffee and took it out to Renee and Elijah, and Selina sat tensely as Elijah and Renee talked. Then, finally, Christine said to her mother, "Don't you have something that you need to be doing, you know, away from here?"

"No, of course not," her mother said and put her coffee cup down, an obvious red lipstick smudge on the edge of the black and white cup. "I could be here all day!"

With a roll of her eyes, Christine then whispered to her mother about Selina being an active werewolf who could turn at will and was getting more and more pissed off by the minute. Renee's eyes widened and then she stood up. "You know, look at the time! Thanks for your hospitality, but I really should be going. It wouldn't be too much of an imposition for you to drive Christine home at the end of the weekend, would it? I just remembered what a full day I have today."

"No problem," Selina smiled as she led her to the door. "It would be our pleasure." She then shut the door behind her with a satisfied bang, and went back to Christine. "Amanda will be back in a little bit if you don't just want to hang out with us all weekend."

"Oh, I really wouldn't mind," Christine replied. "I mean, it's still kind of weird cause I think of you two chiefly as my teachers, but…I can adjust." She looked around and sucked in a breath. "This house is so big and fancy! Mom and I live in a two-bedroom apartment and have to share a bathroom! Do you have a butler and stuff too?"

"No, unfortunately, my wife nixed that idea," Elijah replied. "She does all the cooking and we mostly take care of ourselves. A cleaning lady comes in a couple of times a week, though."

"Oh," Christine felt a little let down. "Okay."

"But that's just in _this_ house," Elijah assured her quickly. "We have others that have full-time staff in them. We'll take you to one of them sometime, if you want the full experience. I've been meaning to bring that up, as a matter of fact. It's been some time since we took a vacation."

"And when you go, can I come?" Christine asked.

"If your mother says it's all right, of course you can," Elijah replied. "It would be nice to have someone along who'd be willing to fully immerse themselves in the experience."

"I immerse myself in the experience!" Selina told him. "Being self-reliant is not a bad thing."

"I never said it was," Elijah shot back. He then turned back to Christine apologetically. "Would you like to see your room?" He asked.

"Sure," Christine nodded and stood up as Elijah took her bags. "Come with me," he said. At that moment, Amanda strode in.

"Well, look who's here!" She remarked. "Have Mom and Dad showed you your room yet, Christine?"

"I was just about to," Elijah told her.

"Oh, don't be silly," Amanda replied and took the bags from her father. "I can do it."

"That's good," Elijah said. "I don't doubt that Christine would prefer that anyway."

* * *

When they reached Christine's room (an empty one across from Amanda's that had once belonged to Annaliese when she came home from boarding school), Christine said, "Are your parents always like that?"

"Yes, pretty much," Amanda nodded. "But you get used to it."

"Who used to have this room?" Christine asked, looking around at the very _cool_ furnishings, including Annaliese's rock band posters, red velvet curtains, and black sheet and comforter set. "Or did you decorate it this way cause you knew I was coming?"

"No, this was my sister Annaliese's room," Amanda replied. "She's a bit of a rebel. Dad sent her to boarding school to try and straighten her out, and they've never entirely reconciled."

"Should I be worried?" Christine wanted to know. "He won't want to send _me_ to boarding school?"

"No, that was _years_ ago," Amanda assured her. "Dad's matured since then. If I'm still here, you shouldn't have anything to worry about."

"Good," Christine nodded. She and Amanda unpacked her things and then Christine sniffed as a smell wafted through her open door. "Are those brownies?" She asked.

"Mom probably made them for you," Amanda replied. "You wanna take a break from packing and go see what's up?"

"Sure," Christine said, then got up to follow Amanda to the kitchen where they sat at the table and waited for the brownies to cool before gorging themselves. Afterward, Christine and Amanda watched a movie and Christine told herself that this might not be such a difficult weekend after all.

* * *

Viktor was in the middle of teaching when all of a sudden, a boy with dark eyes, light brown hair, a leather jacket, and torn jeans strode into the room, slammed the door closed with his magic, and sat down.

"Excuse me," Viktor said to him. "Who are you?"

"I'm Tyler," he said. "The new guy."

"You're late," Viktor said sharply, then ordered everyone to get in pairs. Tyler didn't have anyone to be with until Amanda offered to let him be with her. He gave her a wicked smile that caused Viktor much concern, and when he took her hand and let her lead him off to a corner of the room, it was all Viktor could do not to stroll over and wring the boy's neck.

After class ended, Amanda strode over to Viktor's desk. "Are you all right?" She asked. "I saw you giving me and the new guy the old eyeball and you did _not _look happy."

"I just think you should watch out for him," Viktor told her. "Boys your age are shifty, dishonest creatures. Your father would say the same thing if you asked him."

"All right, I suppose I can do that," Amanda replied. "But I'm of Original descent, remember?" She put a calming hand on his. "Nothing can hurt me. At least not permanently."

"I know that," Viktor told her. "But can you blame an old fool like me for being a little worried?"

"No," Amanda shook her head and kissed his cheek. "I wouldn't expect anything else from you."

She left then and Viktor watched her go, wishing he was a warlock instead of a vampire so he could zap her into an outfit that was less skin tight.

When he had some time off, he went in search of her father. "I think you and I need to talk," he said when he finally found Elijah.

"Why?" Elijah asked. "What's the matter?"

"There's a new boy in one of my classes who I think has designs on Amanda!" Viktor cried a bit more loudly than he meant to. "And he gives me a really bad feeling. I know that Amanda is perfectly capable of taking care of herself, but I just thought I would let you know, for my own peace of mind. He's a warlock, and his name is Tyler. He's got dark eyes and is really villainous-looking."

"I believe I've had someone like that in my class," Elijah replied. "And don't you worry. I'll look out for Amanda."

"You will?" Viktor asked feeling very relieved, although he knew it was really dumb for him to be surprised that Amanda's own father would consent to look out for her when the threat of a shifty, dangerous boy loomed. "Thank you. That eases my mind so much."

"No problem," Elijah told him. "And thank you for letting me know."

"You're welcome," Viktor said. "I'm glad this is sorted out.

"Good," Elijah nodded and put a hand on his shoulder. "Me too."


	14. Father's Orders

Amanda strode through the door after soccer with Will coming in behind her. Once the door was closed and she'd hung up her bag, she called out, "Mom? Pops? Are you here?"

"I'm here," Elijah said as he came to meet her. "Will? Would you mind if I borrowed Amanda for a moment? I have to speak with her."

"Sure," Will replied as his cheek twitched. "Go ahead."

They then went on their way and Elijah let Amanda into his office where Viktor was already waiting. Elijah sat next to him and they both stared Amanda down.

"What's going on, guys?" She wanted to know. "I feel like I just got called into the principal."

"Don't take this the wrong way," Viktor said as he played the good cop. "We're not trying to stifle your life or anything. We're just concerned about your association with that Tyler boy."

"What's wrong with him?" Amanda asked. "I think he's cool."

"Cool or not, he's bad influence," Elijah said. "You should stop seeing him immediately."

"No," Amanda shook her head and got up. "I don't think so. Goodbye." They both watched her stride from the room and then Elijah rose to go after her, his mouth open in indignation at being so willfully defied.

"Let me talk to her," Viktor urged as he tried to get Elijah to sit back down. "I think it will register more than if you do it."

Elijah nodded and managed to stop blustering long enough to watch Viktor leave the office and run after his daughter.

When Viktor finally reached Amanda and put a restraining hand on her arm, he asked, "What's so important about this Tyler boy that you have to defend him as fervently as you are?"

"I defend anyone whom Daddy feels is troublesome or beneath him cause that's usually not the case and he's just being judgmental," Amanda replied. "And I believe that with Tyler, it's the same. If you think the same way he does, you should be ashamed of yourself!"

"I know it's in your nature to think the best of everyone and feel for the underdog, but he gives me really bad feelings," Viktor told her. "What if it turns out I'm right and he's a bad boy? What if he hurts you?"

"Then I'll deal with it," Amanda replied stiffly and pulled her arm out of his grip. "You're my teacher. You're not obliged to take care of me. Especially when I know you don't really care about me at all and have always thought I was more annoying than anything else. Maybe it would be better if we just parted ways permanently and let each other live our own lives."

"I don't think that's possible," Viktor told her. "When you were two years old, you attached yourself to my leg and haven't let go of me since. And I'm not about to let go of you now."

"Fine," Amanda said flatly. "Just…don't wreck every chance I have of having a social life, you got me? Let me make my own mistakes."

"Fine," Viktor replied. "If something goes wrong, don't come crying to me."

"I won't," Amanda scoffed. "You can be sure of _that._" She then turned and strode back to Will, apologizing for the wait and hoping that the unpredictable effects of his resurrection surgery hadn't troubled him and he was still sitting upright.

* * *

It was with thoughts of Tyler in mind that Elijah decided to take Christine and the rest of the family on a trip to one of the other, fancier houses like he'd promised.

"Which one are we going to?" Christine asked from next to Amanda in the backseat. "And I wish I could have brought Eva with me. I think it would have been fun."

"I honestly have no idea how Eva-Michelle would handle a trip to a place like where we're going," Elijah replied. "I mean, I suppose it would be familiar to her, considering she's got Original blood on both sides, including that of my father. But she just never seemed like the sort of girl to be enchanted by things like that. As for which one we're going to…it's one of my most recent acquisitions. I got it at the beginning of the 1930s."

"How interesting," Christine got out. "What made you just decide to buy a new house?"

"I needed a place to recover," Elijah explained. "I had a relationship with a certain woman for most of the twenties and it took a lot out of me."

"I messed you up so bad you had to get a new house and become a hermit in it?" Selina asked. "Wow!"

"I never said it was _you_," Elijah told her, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to stare at her. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, who else would it be?" Selina wanted to know. Then she paused. "Don't tell me you let _Katherine_ get the best of you."

"I'm surprised to hear you speak slightingly of her," Elijah remarked. "I thought the two of you were good buddies now."

"Not all the time," Selina shook her head. "Just when you date women that you shouldn't and need to be saved from yourself."

"It wasn't a date," Elijah repeated for the thousandth time. "It was a _meeting._"

"Yeah, I don't think you and my mom would work together long-term," Christine added from the back seat. "The fact that the guy I always thought was my father was a werewolf should tell you something about the type of men she prefers."

"I would be careful, Christine," Selina told her. "Elijah might think you're calling him less than manly and that would hurt his feelings."

"And for your information," Elijah told his new daughter, trying not to sound affronted, "I _am_ a werewolf now. Not every one of them that's male has to run around with ripped jeans and no shirt, their brawn being more important to them than their brains. Selina's uncle, for instance, was quite the scholar. I choose to follow his lead."

"Speaking of," Selina said, "If you ever wanna talk to Uncle Jake about stuff, I'd be more than happy to take you."

"Don't be silly," Elijah brushed off the suggestion. "I've handled things well enough so far, and I want to continue in that fashion."

"Well, all right," Selina replied. "If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do."

"Thank you," Elijah nodded. "I appreciate it."

"Can we put the radio on?" Amanda asked, leaning forward and wrapping her arms around Elijah's head rest. "Please?"

"Sorry," Elijah told her. "I promise I won't bicker with your mother anymore."

"That doesn't bother me," Amanda replied. "I just want to listen to the radio."

"All right," Elijah replied. "Just as long as you don't pick a channel where they do nothing but scream."

"Does that mean you won't put on the opera channel either?" Amanda asked.

"Opera is not screaming," Elijah said impatiently. "It's-"

"Give it up," Selina urged him and put a hand on his arm. "No matter how many times you try and explain yourself, it's not gonna matter to her."

They tried to compromise on a radio station but couldn't, so Amanda and Christine both retreated into books and movies until they arrived at the house.

* * *

When Elijah told Christine they'd arrived and helped her out of the backseat, she said, "Are you sure this is the place? It could be the train station that will take us to the place we're actually supposed to go."

"No, it's the real place." Elijah replied. The building before them was Gothic in fashion, looking more like a church than a house. There were even stain glass windows in the front. Selina was beside Christine and staring too, something she noticed. "Why are _you_ staring?" She asked.

"I've never been to this house," Selina explained. "It's the first time I've seen it, and it's…really breath-taking, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "It is." She followed Elijah inside and was surprised to see a tall, thin, balding man in a gray three piece suit standing by the door. "Hello, sir," he told Elijah and reached for his coat. "Lovely to have you back. The blood supplies have been well-stocked in preparation for your arrival."

"Good, Jenkins," Elijah told him. "Because I've not come alone this time. I brought some other people with me."

"I see that, sir," Jenkins replied and tapped Christine on the shoulder. "May I take your jacket, Miss?" He asked.

"Sure," Christine smiled. She let him help her off with it and put it in the closet. Then he did the same with Amanda, while Selina, of course, took off her own jacket and hung it up herself.

"Jenkins, this is my wife, Selina, and my daughters, Amanda and Christine," Elijah introduced them to the man.

"Well, hello, ladies," Jenkins greeted them, giving a slight bow. "I hope you'll enjoy yourselves here." Then he turned back to Elijah. "Should I send people out to get your things so they can be unpacked, sir?"

"If you would, please," Elijah nodded.

"We don't even have to unpack our stuff?" Christine whispered to Amanda as she watched more uniformed men and women bustle around and confirm with each other. "Will they brush our teeth for us too?"

"No, of course not!" Amanda replied. "Well, at least I don't _think_ they will," she amended after a moment.

Elijah gave Selina and the girls a tour of a small portion of the house and then suggested they all go to their rooms for a rest. Christine was in awe that all her stuff was unpacked and neatly folded in drawers or hung up in closets. She lay down in her bed for a little while, but then realized she wasn't tired, so she sneaked down to the kitchen and asked for a snack. She wasn't sure that her request would be obeyed, but it was, and she ended up being given a hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and cherries, which she savored before heading back to her room and shutting her eyes.

* * *

When she woke up, it was to a knock on the door. She went to answer it and saw Amanda dressed up.

"Why are you dressed like that?" She wanted to know.

"Dad wants to do a formal dinner to celebrate our first night here," Amanda explained. "Did you bring a dress or something like that with you? If you didn't, I'll let you borrow something of mine."

"I should have figured I'd need something like that," Christine sighed. "But I didn't bring anything. Thanks for your help."

"You're welcome," Amanda replied and let her to her room where she let Christine pick out one of her dresses and put it on. "I hope it's not too uncomfortable," Amanda said as the two of them looked at Christine's reflection in the floor length mirror that hung on the bathroom door. The dress she wore was dark blue and other then some ruffling in the skirt, there wasn't much decoration on it. Then Amanda helped her do her hair, then they went in to dinner.

Elijah was very pleased when he saw that Christine had dressed up, and was even more impressed when she asked if she could sit next to him. "I don't know much about all this formal etiquette stuff," she said as she sat down with her napkin in her lap and stared in dismay at all the different silverware set out in front of her, most of which she had no idea what to do with. "Will you help me?"

"Of course," Elijah said with a smile as Selina and Amanda dove into dinner without help. "I would love to."

* * *

"I have a question," Amanda said to Tyler the following Monday as he sat by her at the lunch table.

"All right," Tyler nodded. "What is it?"

"Well, my father is a bit worried about my being friends with you," Amanda told him. "So…does he have anything to worry about?"

"Of course not!" Tyler replied and magicked something into his hand. "Want a pudding cup?" He asked, holding it out to her. "It's chocolate."

"Sure," Amanda replied. They ate lunch in peace and when she talked to Rosalie about it afterward, Rosalie rolled her eyes. "If he really was a bad guy, do you think he would tell you? You really have to look out for people who want to take advantage. Keep both eyes open. Cause even someone you think you trust could turn on you at any minute."

"You seem like you're speaking from experience," Amanda observed. "Who betrayed _you_?"

"No one, yet," Rosalie replied. "But Daddy's always warning me about Aaron. He doesn't trust him. He says that he's the sort of human who won't be able to handle what I am, and if I tell him, it won't end well."

"Do you think he's right?" Amanda wanted to know.

"I don't know," Rosalie replied. "I mean, he wasn't always bad to me. When we were kids, you know, before his mom was killed, he was really nice."

"Well, maybe we should keep all our eyes open," Amanda replied and took Rosalie's hand. "You know, just in case."

"Yeah," Rosalie nodded. "I guess it wouldn't hurt, would it?"


	15. Getting In Deep

Amanda was a distance away from Viktor's classroom when she realized that she'd left her notebook in there. "Shit," she whispered, turning on her heel and marching back to the room. She opened the door and gasped when she saw Viktor and Alexandra making out. She walked in, trying to be quiet so they wouldn't see her, but she knocked something over and Alexandra turned. "Oh, it's you again," she spat. "Why can't you just leave people alone?"

"Would you calm down, Cruella?" Amanda shot back. "I just came back cause I left my notebook here. I wasn't trying to intrude on your personal business. Cause really, the thought of you putting your lips all over him sickens me. But then again, it's none of _my _business."

"You're right, it's not!" Alexandra said, then turned around cause she saw that Amanda was smirking at something Viktor was doing behind her back (he had been making faces). "What did you do?" She asked.

"Nothing," Viktor said quickly. "You have your notes, Amanda? You should hurry along to your next class then."

"Oh, that won't be a problem," Amanda replied. "Anything is better than watching you and Alexandra suck face."

"How many times have I told you that calling me by my first name is not the proper way to address me?" Alexandra huffed at her. "You will address me in a way that shows respect."

"In your dreams!" Amanda replied. "I'll show you respect when you earn it, and not before. And I'm sorry to say that you're just not there yet."

"_Go,_ Amanda." Viktor said tiredly. "Please."

"All right, I'm going," Amanda replied. "See you later, Mr. Larson and Alexandra!"

* * *

"You really could have been nicer to Alexandra, you know," Viktor pointed out to Amanda later when he stopped her in the hallway. "It was already an awkward situation. Why did you have to make it worse?"

"Cause I didn't enjoy watching you kissing her!" Amanda cried and pulled out of his grip again. "It's disgusting!"

"I have to say that your interference is not appreciated, though," Viktor chided. "In situations like this, the grown up thing, the mature thing to do is just to let people live their own lives."

At that moment, Tyler was approaching and Amanda smiled wickedly. She grabbed his arm and said to Viktor, "So if I kissed Tyler here and you saw it, you would do the mature thing and just mind your own business?"

"Oh, you wouldn't do that!" Viktor cried.

"Wouldn't I?" Amanda asked, pulling Tyler to herself and kissing him deeply as Viktor sputtered and blustered. When they pulled apart, Tyler looked stunned, and Viktor looked like he was about to throw up.

"All right," Viktor nodded. "So you would kiss him in front of me."

"Yeah," Amanda replied. "What are you gonna do about it? Come up with some horrible double standard about why you have a right to interfere in my relationship, but I have no right to interfere in yours?"

"It's hardly a double standard," Viktor countered. "Alexandra and I are mature adults who are fully aware of what we're getting into. You're still young and naïve. You have no idea that _this_—" he gestured at Tyler, who still stood next to her-"could be the biggest mistake of your life."

"But like I said before, it's still my mistake to make, no matter how young and inexperienced I am," Amanda countered. "I get enough crap about how I'm supposed to act from my dad at home. I will _not_ accept it from you at school too." She then slapped him before allowing Tyler to put an arm around her as they walked away together and Tyler gave Viktor a smirk over his shoulder.

* * *

"I wish you could have come with me when I went out with Mr. Mikaelson and Ms. Warren the first time," Christine told Eva. "Why couldn't you?"

"Sean and I were doing some relationship strengthening things," Eva replied. "Otherwise, I would have loved to."

"You know, Mr. Mikaelson said that you probably wouldn't have been impressed by his big house."

"That's true," Eva nodded. "Between my grandpas, I've been around yachts and big houses and stuff all my life. But I've never seen any of Uncle Elijah's."

"It was so weird," Christine replied. "The table was set with like, five million forks! Who the hell needs that many?"

"Well, I guess people just needed things to spend their money on," Eva replied. "I mean, you should come over to Sean's and see some of the fancy crap _he_ bought."

"Do you think he'd mind if I came over?" Christine asked. "Mom's going out again tomorrow and I get bored when I'm alone."

"I'm sure he won't mind," Eva assured her. "But I should probably ask him before you show up, cause it's the polite thing to do."

"All right," Christine replied. "Once you get your answer, just let me know."

* * *

Sean consented to Christine's visit, of course (he'd really respected her for helping him make sure Eva was okay the night she got drunk at the frat house party). When she arrived, she told Sean, "You have a nice house here. It's not as big as my birth father's, but it's still pretty spectacular." She began picking up random things and then said with a smile, "Eva was right. You _do_ have a bunch of expensive crap around here!"

"And since the key word is 'expensive'," Sean said and snatched back a small pot she was examining, "I'll thank you not to touch anything and get your grubby fingerprints all over it!"

"Well, geez!" Christine replied. "_Sor-ry."_

"I think Eva's part of the house would be a better fit for you," Sean suggested. "She doesn't have anything valuable or breakable."

Christine readily followed Eva to what Sean had called "her" part of the house: a place full of bean bag chairs, bright colors, and toys, along with her canopy bed and growing collection of tiaras, which was very prominently displayed on her dresser.

"My god," Christine got out as she looked around. "How the hell did you get all this stuff? Did Sean buy it for you?"

"Not all of it, but some of it," Eva replied. "I know it's a bit girly for you, so if you decide you wanna spend the night, you don't have to sleep in here. We have other rooms."

"Yeah, thanks," Christine replied. "I might have to take you up on that. I asked Mom this morning about if I could spend the night, so I don't think she expects me to come home. She probably has other plans. Ones that involve Mr. Mikaelson, I bet."

"You really think?" Eva asked.

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "I do."

* * *

"Is your wife home?" Renee asked when Elijah opened the door in response to her knock.

"No, she's not," Elijah replied. "She just got a message about some baking competition and ran down there to show off some cake she's proud of."

"She actually fell for that?" Renee asked with a laugh. "When I called, I wasn't sure if she'd go."

"You…_you_ were the one who called about the baking contest?" Elijah asked, backing away from the door as Renee stepped inside, a smile on her face.

"Of course," she said. "How else were we gonna get some time alone?"

"I realize that you'd like a husband," Elijah told her, trying to keep his face out of the range of her lips. "But I'm just not the one for you. Have you talked to Christine about the gym teacher? He's a werewolf, and he's very single. And handsome. And he's into my wife too."

"She gets you _and_ a single, hot, werewolf?" Renee asked. "I think not."

"Go!" Elijah encouraged. He dug the piece of paper with Jack's number on it out of the trash and gave it to her, then urged her out the door. "Good luck!" he said.

"Thanks," She called back.

When Selina got home, Elijah was not surprised to see that she looked confused and a little angry. After she stored the cake she'd brought with her to the 'contest', he took her in his arms, kissed her hair, and said, "There _was_ no baking competition, was there?"

"No," Selina shook her head. "I have no idea what the hell happened."

"It was a trick courtesy of Renee to get you out of the house so she could have some time alone with me," Elijah replied.

"Oh, yeah?" Selina stared. "And what did you do when she showed up?"

"I told her I understood what she wanted from me, but since I was with you, we wouldn't be getting together. Then I gave her Jack's number that was in the trash and wished her the best of luck," Elijah replied. "I think that if those two get together, it will solve all our problems."

"Have I told you recently that aside from being very handsome, you're also very smart?" Selina asked as she got on her tiptoes to kiss her husband.

"I always like hearing it," Elijah said with a smile. "You can't say it too many times."


	16. A Little Melodrama

Selina and Elijah were eating lunch together when Jack came to join them, as was his custom. Although Elijah usually greeted him rather coolly, the knowledge that he would soon be with Renee and not sniffing around Selina anymore made Elijah feel much better and he gave Jack a smile this time and even pulled the seat next to him out for his work colleague.

"Thank you," Jack smiled as he sat down. "I have the most interesting news."

"You do?" Selina smiled back. "What is it?"

"I got a call from Christine's mother," Jack got out. "She…she asked me out on a date. I don't know if I should go, though."

"I would urge you to at least give it a try," Selina replied. "What do you have to lose?"

"All right,' Jack nodded and stroked his beard. "But that doesn't mean I value you any less, Selina. Don't take it the wrong way."

"Oh, I don't," Selina replied. "I'm very happy for you, Jack."

"Thank you," Jack replied. "And I really owe Elijah here a debt of gratitude. Renee told me he was the one who gave her my number."

"Did he?" Selina asked. "Well, isn't that nice of him?"

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "It really was. Just one question though: when we go out on our first date, would you two mind coming with us?"

"You mean to chaperone or something like that?" Selina asked. "Sure, if you want."

"It's not that I'm looking for a way out, or anything like that," Jack assured her quickly. "I just…I never know what to say, and I think that maybe if I had other people around to help with the conversation (at least the first time, anyway) Renee and I might actually get somewhere."

"I'm up for it," Selina said. Then she looked at Elijah. "What do you think?"

"I think a night out would be good," Elijah replied. "And anything I can do to facilitate you and Renee getting together I will gladly do. No worries about that."

* * *

"Next time I agree to go on a double date with these two, remind me of this moment and I'll be fine with you going alone," Elijah whispered to Selina as they settled into their seats at the boxing ring while Renee and Jack went to get snacks. "This is…this is horrible!"

"Oh, I don't think it'll be so bad," Selina replied. "I wanted to see this fight and now I won't even have to pay for it on TV!" She looked a little out of place at the boxing ring, since she was wearing a dress with pastel flowers on it and pink flats.

"You_ like_ things like this?" Elijah asked, feeling more than a little disgusted. "I didn't even know you watched!"

"Oh, of course!" Selina nodded. "Roxie puts the fights on at the bar and we all make bets and yell and stuff."

Elijah sighed. "Of course you do. I don't know why I'm so surprised by this."

"And can I just say you look really good tonight?" Selina continued. He was wearing denim and a gray t-shirt with a leather jacket over it. "Aren't you glad you didn't wear a suit?"

"I suppose, given the situation," Elijah admitted. "But I really wish I was."

It was then that Renee and Jack came back with snacks. They passed them out and then Renee looked at Elijah while Selina drank her soda. "Are you sure we can't get you anything?" She asked.

"No, thank you," Elijah shook his head. "I'm fine."

The bell rang then to signal the beginning of the match, and all of them but Elijah shouted things at the boxers, especially when the one they wanted to win was losing. Selina, especially, was swearing much more frequently than Elijah would have allowed at home.

When she finally stopped to breathe and Elijah could tell she was losing her voice, he asked Selina, "Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah," Selina replied, her voice hoarse. "It's great. Sorry I'm swearing so much."

"Well, I don't suppose there's anything I can do to stop you," Elijah told her. "But now that you're losing your voice, maybe you should calm down a little."

Selina nodded and took a bite of her hot dog, which was slathered with everything. "Maybe." She held it out in his direction. "Are you sure you don't want a bite?"

"No, thank you," Elijah shook his head. "I don't like ketchup."

He then sat uncomfortably for only a few more blessed seconds before the guy Selina and Renee liked knocked out his opponent and the match was finally over. The four of them left, with Jack thanking Selina and Elijah for coming before asking Renee out on a second date, alone.

"Thank god they don't want us to come again," Elijah sighed in relief as he and Selina got into their care to head home. "I don't think I could stand another night like this."

"It wasn't so bad," Selina replied. "Renee's actually a lot of fun when she's not sniffing around you all the time."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Elijah told her. "But when we get home, I'm going to go to my office, pour myself a glass of scotch, read my book, and revel in the silence."

"And I'm gonna take a bath," Selina smiled. "Just a little something for you to think about."

* * *

"I'm just here for my tutoring lesson," Amanda told Viktor the next time she came to see him after school. "Nothing more. Hell, I wouldn't even do _this_ if the classes you help me with didn't make my college applications look excellent." She came in and sat down. "No sucking face with Alexandra today? And what were you kissing her for? Did she make you?"

"She's trying to keep our marriage together," Viktor said helplessly. "No, she didn't make me. I wanted to."

"But your marriage _sucks_!" Amanda shouted, standing up and pounding on the desk. "It's no wonder I'm not attracted to you anymore. You're fucking pathetic. I want a _real _man. A man like Tyler!"

Viktor's eyes narrowed. "You said you wanted me to teach you," he told her. "Let's get to it."

"All right," Amanda nodded and slowly sat down. "Do what you need to do, and then you can go home to Alexandra and continue being her lapdog."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Viktor cried, coming around to stand in front of her desk. "Just a minute! I'm not what you say at all. Don't you speak to me that way!"

"Why the hell not?" Amanda shouted back.

It was then that Viktor grabbed her and kissed her, his hands pushing her skirt up and massaging her panties, and then releasing her and smirking as she melted into a puddle in her desk chair. He let her rest like that and then ordered her to pay attention while they went over things. They didn't get much done, however, and finally, he just let Amanda go home before he sat down and pulled a flask out from his desk chair and took a long swig. It tasted horrible, but at least it would make going home to Alexandra easier. If she knew he'd been drinking, she wouldn't try and touch him, and just let him go to bed.

* * *

Although having power over Amanda was intoxicating, Viktor couldn't help but picture Tyler putting his lips all over her in the same way he himself always did. It got to the point where it was interfering with his sleep, and he kept drinking to cope not only with Alexandra, but with Amanda (and Tyler) as well. He tried to play it off so no one would notice, but it was painfully obvious, especially to Amanda.

"Oh, my god!" She cried when a flask accidentally rolled out of his pocket during another tutoring session and he didn't grab it quick enough. "Are you drinking? You _really_ seemed out of it in class today!"

"No," Viktor shook his head, the alcohol obvious on his breath, so she tilted her head back. "I'm fine."

"You aren't," Amanda watched him fall down and then tried to pull him back up. "You poor, stupid man," she said, clicking her tongue. "Maybe we shouldn't have a lesson today and I should just let Tyler take me home. He's waiting for me, you know." She pulled Viktor up and sat him down. He immediately pitched forward, fell asleep, and then Amanda left the room and shut off the light. She then went to meet Tyler, who'd promised to wait for her.

"You're back soon," he commented.

"Viktor wasn't feeling very well, so I just decided to let him rest," Amanda replied. "That means we have some time to kill. What would you like to do?"

"How about we go to my house?" Tyler suggested. "You've always said you wanted to visit."

"Okay!" Amanda replied. "Cool!"

On the way there, he asked her lots of questions about what it was like being the daughter of an Original vampire.

"It must be really cool, right?" He asked. "Being so powerful and indestructible and all. If you could bottle your blood, I bet you'd make a fortune!"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded, feeling a little weirded out by this remark. "I guess."

They got to his house, he gave her a tour, and all was normal until he took her down to the basement. It was then that Amanda noticed a closed door off in a dark corner. "What's in there?" She asked as he was about to take her upstairs.

"Oh, damn!" Tyler cried. "I almost forgot to show you that. I think you'll really like it in there. It's where my father conducted his experiments and first started manufacturing his healing cream. The stuff that made our family rich. I've decided to carry on his work." He opened the door, turned on the dim light, and then shut the door and locked it behind him just in time for Amanda to notice the staked, mummified corpses of three vampires that had been chained up against the wall. "What the hell?" She asked with a gasp. She tried to run, but Tyler grabbed her and pushed her down to the floor. He then punched her repeatedly so that she ended up with a broken nose and two black eyes, and then, after mumbling under his breath, Amanda heard the sickening crunch of bone, crying out in pain as both her legs were broken and she too was chained up alongside her mummified vampire compatriots.

"Why are you doing this?" Amanda cried with a wince. "I'm just gonna heal, you know!"

"Not with the spell I put on you, you won't!" Tyler replied. "I'm sorry I had to do it, but if I hadn't, you would have tried to run away, and I can't have that. I really need your blood." He then made a knife and vial appear, then cut her bare skin, smiling like a madman as he watched the blood drip into the vial.

"It's like red gold, isn't it?" He told her. "And it's going to make me a fortune."

* * *

"I just don't understand where Amanda could be!" Elijah muttered a few hours later as he paced the floor. "It's not like her to just disappear like this." He stared at Selina, who was just sitting in a chair. "And don't you say that it's nothing. Cause it is."

"Oh, I think you're right," Selina assured him earnestly. "And the last place we knew she was at was her studying session. So why don't we call Viktor and ask him if he knows where she went after that."

So Elijah called Viktor, who was nursing a major hangover. "Where's Amanda?" He asked. "Viktor, do you know?"

"No," Viktor replied. "I gave her the lesson I was supposed to give her, and then she left."

Elijah immediately noticed the slur in his friend's voice. "Have you been drinking?" He wanted to know. "Damn it, Viktor! Amanda is missing! Get it together!"

"All-all right," Viktor agreed. "I think that if Amanda has disappeared, we have at least one really logical suspect who might know what happened to her."

"Tyler?" Elijah asked.

"Yeah," Viktor nodded. "Tyler. I just barely remember something about her telling me that he was waiting to take her home. He was the last person she was with."

"Well, then, I guess I'll be paying him a visit," Elijah replied.

"No," Viktor told him. "I'll go, not you. When Amanda first started showing interest in him, since he has magical heritage, I asked Astrid to tell me about his family, so we'd know if he was good or not. And she told me that his father made his original fortune capturing vampires, draining them of their blood, and then making it part of a healing cream. He's been dead for a while now, but who knows? Tyler could be continuing the business and that's why he's so interested in Amanda, and_ that's_ why she left with him and hasn't come back. I'm more expendable then you are, if he tries to drain me too. I'll save her, don't worry."

"Thank you, Viktor," Elijah got out, gripping the phone hard. "Good luck!"


	17. A Knight Without Armor

**A/n: this is an extra special, super sexy chapter for my most wonderful friend Lovely Vero's birthday. Happy birthday, sweetie! Hope you like this humble present!**

Amanda squirmed helplessly as Tyler made knife mark after knife mark and filled his vials with her blood. She noticed that none of the wounds healed and found the courage to ask him why.

"Cause it's easier to get the blood out that way," Tyler snapped, his dark eyes flashing. "How am I supposed to get what I need if you keep healing? It's a really useful spell I put on you."

"You won't be able to keep me in here forever, you know," Amanda told him. "Mr. Larson will come find me and you'll be in _big_ trouble!"

Tyler slapped her. "Will you stop being such a cliché? It's really pathetic, you know."

Amanda stayed silent then, hoping against hope that someone would come to rescue her. And then, just when she'd lost hope, she heard a knock on the door. Tyler went to open it and realized very quickly that that was a mistake. Viktor, although clearly still very inebriated, charged in, and then said to Tyler, "You better let Amanda go!"

"And what will you do if I don't?" Tyler asked. Then he smiled and got real close to Viktor's ear. "You know, if you let me just go about my business, I'll give you half the profits. Would you like that? You probably could use the extra money."

"Oh, don't insult me!" Viktor replied. "I wouldn't sell this lovely girl out for any amount of money!" He removed her restraints and then ran his fingers gently over her cuts. "What's happened to you?" He asked.

"_He_ did it," Amanda told Viktor. "He lured me here, he tied me up, and he hurt me!"

That made Viktor turn on the young warlock. They tussled for a bit, and then Viktor knocked Tyler to the ground and held him the only way he thought he could: he sat on him, and then wished for his daughter to show up. Since Viktor weighed more than Tyler did, there was no chance of the young warlock escaping.

Soon, Astrid showed up with James and a bunch of officers in tow. When she saw Amanda, she hugged her, completely ignoring the fact that it made her get blood on her suit. She then ordered Viktor to get off of Tyler, who was then commanded to take the spell off Amanda before he was put in handcuffs and taken away to be charged with what he'd done with Amanda. What would be done about the other vampire corpses, she still had to decide.

"Well," Viktor smiled after blowing a raspberry in Tyler's direction. "I sure showed him."

"Daddy, have you been drinking?" Astrid asked. "Has that awful Alexandra been causing you trouble?"

"No, I'm fine," Viktor told her. "I can handle it. You don't have to worry."

"All right," Astrid replied doubtfully, then called Elijah and Selina to tell them that Amanda had been found and she would be all right.

"My dad saved her," Astrid explained.

"Well, he has our gratitude," Elijah told her. "And you too, Astrid. And James. Thank you, all of you."

"You're welcome," Astrid replied, and then handed the phone to her father, telling him what Elijah had said.

"Yeah," Viktor said into the phone. "You're welcome, Elijah."

* * *

"And you thought your father and I were crazy when we told you to stay away from Tyler, but did you listen to us? _No!_ If it weren't for that tracking thing we put on your phone, I never would have found you." Viktor said as he led Amanda into his house a few days later, cause Elijah and Selina were away from home to learn more about Tyler's family. Tyler himself was on the run now after using ingenuity to escape jail, and they were trying to learn more about what they were up against. "You are damn lucky he took the spell off of you so you could walk again."

"Okay, I made a mistake," Amanda said, not protesting against him tracking her phone cause it had saved her life. "Now that I've owned up to it, can you let it go? You've been going on and on about it _forever_."

"I just want to make sure you realize the seriousness of what you've done," Viktor replied.

"Oh, have a drink," Amanda replied, her eyes narrowed as she collapsed on the sofa. "It'll make you less insufferable."

Viktor agreed and when he came back, he had a bottle of wine and a grin on his face.

"What?" Amanda asked.

"Alexandra's gone," he said. "Have I told you that? You and I are alone here." He popped the cork off a bottle of red wine. "Wanna celebrate that?"

"You better believe I do!" Amanda nodded. "You got any glasses?"

"Oh, what the hell do we need glasses for?" Viktor asked. "Let's just drink it straight out of the bottle!"

"Actually, I have an even better idea," Amanda said and stripped off her clothes, standing in her underwear in front of him. "Why don't we do body shots? Well, we couldn't do them the proper way cause there's only two of us, but…whatever." She smiled. "So…do you want to?"

"How would we do it?" Viktor asked.

Amanda took his hand then and led him to the shower, the bottle of wine in her free hand. He reached to turn the water on, but Amanda shook her head. "We don't need to turn the shower on. At least not now, anyway. Now, I'm gonna pour the wine over myself and you'll lick what you can off my body."

"Are you insane?" Viktor asked, wide eyed. "Think of what you're wasting!"

Amanda studied the bottle, a vintage she vaguely remembered her father wincing at the sight of once. "This is crap," she said. "Perfect for an activity like this." She stripped and threw her clothes in a pile in front of the shower and encouraged Viktor to do the same. He did, although he was still doubtful about this activity. He then watched as Amanda poured the bottle of wine all over her body. It looked so much like blood that he began to feel his fangs lengthen, even though it wasn't blood at all. He finally grabbed her and began slowly licking the wine off her neck and breasts and then got down on his knees to lick between her parted legs. She gasped loudly and braced herself against the shower wall, widening her legs even more. She moaned as she felt his raspy tongue stroke her, shutting her eyes to focus more clearly on the sensation between her legs. She brought her fingers up into her hair and tousled it, making herself look wild and unpredictable. Finally, Viktor looked up at her.

"Did I do that right?" He asked.

"I don't know," Amanda replied. "But I really liked it. You want a turn? Is there enough wine left?"

"There's not much," Viktor replied, shaking the bottle. "It doesn't matter. I don't need it."

"Give me that bottle," Amanda told him and snatched it away, ordering him to get to his feet before she poured what was left of the wine all over his cock and then got on her knees to slowly and gently suck it off.

Viktor shut his eyes and gasped. She was good. She really was. He would have to ask her to play this game more often, and make sure he had a good supply of cheap red wine around.

Later, when they were both very drunk and the living room was littered with empty bottles, Amanda shrugged off her bathrobe. "Why don't you join me?" She urged Viktor. "No one is here to see us. We can do whatever the hell we want! We don't have to confine ourselves to the shower!" Then she smiled and came over to kiss him. "Is this why you brought me to your house instead of taking me back to my parents?" She asked playfully. "So you could get me drunk and we could start having sex again?"

"_Well…" _Viktor laughed. "I _would_ deny it, but what's the point?" They laughed together as he removed his bathrobe and then took Amanda in his arms to kiss her. "How are you feeling?" He asked. "Better?"

"Yeah, I think so," Amanda nodded. "But just for the heck of it, let's give ourselves a workout. What do you say? Stage one was a bit sedate. I'm ready for something a bit more physical."

"Well, sure," Viktor replied and began kissing her neck and massaging under her panties after picking her up and laying her across the long sofa.

Amanda squirmed as his lips moved downward from her neck, to her collarbone, to her torso, and then she let out a scream when he stopped to swirl his tongue around her belly button. He removed her panties then as he sucked her nipples gently.

"Just like nursing a beer bottle," he told her. "Just as sweet too."

"Come inside me," Amanda asked breathlessly. "Please?"

"All right," Viktor nodded. "I will."

She eagerly parted her legs for him and as he leaned forward to kiss her lips, his hands cupping her face, she felt him enter her. "That's…that's good!" She cried. "Do it again!"

He backed out of her and pushed in again a few more times, until she mentioned that she was worn out and needed a rest.

"Depending on how long I'm going to be here, we might need to pace ourselves," she got out. "I don't know if I can handle this every day."

"All right," Viktor nodded. "I'll let you rest sometime. But I'll just work you all the harder after that. It's the only way to get you prepared physically."

"You drive a hard bargain," Amanda told him and gave him a kiss. "But I think I can deal with that." She chuckled. "I-I think I really needed this after all I went through with Tyler. Mom and Dad would have just fretted over me and yelled and worried. And that wouldn't have helped at all. But this," She brought Viktor's head down to meet her lips. "This does."

* * *

As Amanda danced on the table a few hours later, the doorbell rang and Viktor jumped, startled awake from a deep sleep and instinctively reaching for a blanket to cover himself up because he was only in his underwear. "Hide!" He yelled at Amanda. "It could be Alexandra or your parents. I have to get the door and neither of them can see you like that! It's all fun and games until your parents or Alexandra see you naked and figure out what we've been up to since you came through the door."

"No, thanks," She replied with a smile and kept on dancing. "I think I'll stay here."

With a huff, Viktor opened the door and saw a smiling man on the other side holding out a box of pizza with a smaller box on top of it. "Happy's Pizza," he said. "Did you order a large pepperoni and breadsticks? That'll be fifteen dollars."

Confused, Viktor paid him and then went in to see Amanda. "Did you order a pizza?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah!" Amanda cried and jumped off the table. "I forgot about that. You were asleep when I ordered it, and I wasn't sure if you'd wake up in time, so I'm sorry if you don't like pepperoni. I'm starved!" She began wolfing down pizza and asked Viktor if he would bring her some blood.

"That doorbell damn near gave me a heart attack," Viktor said when he came back and handed the blood to her. Amanda was still eating, with Viktor taking the last few slices in the box. Once Amanda finished the blood and her pizza, she straddled him on the sofa and began kissing him again.

Viktor looked at her in surprise and then she said apologetically, "Sorry, do I have pepperoni breath? I can go brush my teeth if you want."

"Oh, no, you don't need to do that," Viktor assured her. "I just thought you'd be too tired for round three."

"I'm full of pizza and breadsticks," Amanda pointed out. "I have lots of energy. And if this is what we're gonna be doing until I go home, I'm gonna need it."

"All right," Viktor conceded as she reached down and tousled his hair. "If you insist."

"Oh, I insist," Amanda replied with a grin as she reached into his boxers and stroked him gently. "You better believe I insist. Oh, and do you want to kiss a bit and then remove your boxers? Or do you want me to pause so you can take your boxers off now?"

"I'll take them off," Viktor decided. "Why I bothered putting them on again, I have no idea."

"It's cause your modest and it's cute," Amanda replied. Once his boxers were off and in a ball by the sofa, she straddled him again, reaching down to cup his bottom, which brought him up a little. She scooted forward and soon he was buried deep inside her and reaching up to move some hair out of her eyes. "Do I feel good inside of you?" He asked. "Because if we're going to go on like this, I at least want it to be worth it for both of us."

"Oh, don't worry," Amanda assured him. "It is."


	18. I Don't Give A Damn Bout My Reputation

"So…you never told me how your first solo date with Renee went," Selina said to Jack as he escorted her back to her classroom. "Did it go well?"

Jack's face fell. "You know, I wish it had," he said. "When we were at the boxing match and we didn't have to talk to each other, that was one thing. But you get us alone and there's nothing. I couldn't think of one thing to say, and she thought that gave her license to talk and talk and _talk._" He leaned closer. "What do you say you cut a man a break and see if we can't go somewhere?"

"I can't, I'm married, remember?" Selina reminded him, showing him her ring. "And Elijah doesn't really like me to, you know, _date_. Why don't you give Renee another chance? Maybe, since you know that restaurants don't work, you could go to a movie or something."

"Will you and Elijah come with us again?" Jack asked hopefully.

"Fine, one last time," Selina rolled her eyes. "But soon you're gonna have to learn how to go on dates by yourself."

"All right," Jack nodded. "Thank you. You're the best!"

* * *

"How could you agree to have us go on another date with those two?!" Elijah yelled at Selina when she told him about it on the car ride home, his limbs flailing wildly next to her in the passengers' seat. "It took all I had in me to go with you to that fucking boxing match! I'm not going through this again. No, sorry, I won't put myself through that kind of horror again."

"You _do_ realize that if you don't go, you'll be leaving me in a darkened movie theater with a man who has the hots for me and hates his date, right?" Selina asked and put her hand on his arm for a moment. "Do you _really _wanna risk that?"

"Fine," Elijah huffed. "I'll come with you, but this is absolutely the _last time_. Do you understand me? They probably didn't even pick a good movie."

"You're such a good sport," Selina said and gave him a smile. "And it's not like it's gonna happen right away. We still have a few days for you to mentally prepare yourself."

"Did you tell Jack that this is the last time we'll be going on a date with him and Renee?" Elijah asked. "Has that been made clear?"

"I've said something about it, if that's what you mean," Selina replied. "Whether or not Jack listens is entirely up to him."

Elijah sighed. "Of course it is."

* * *

When they arrived home, Amanda hadn't gotten back from soccer practice yet, so they did their usual separation with Elijah camping out in his office and Selina taking her place in the library. Once Amanda arrived home, they watched TV until Selina made dinner, and as they sat at the table, Selina said to her daughter, "Your father and I are going out this Friday night. Will you be able to find some way to entertain yourself?"

"Oh, sure," Amanda replied. "I don't mind you skipping out on my eighteenth birthday to do something for yourselves."

"Oh, my god," Selina's eyes widened. "It _is_ your birthday on Friday, isn't it? I completely forgot. Honey, I'm so sorry. We can think of something to do. We'll cancel our plans."

"No!" Amanda said quickly, cause she could think of much better ways to spend her birthday than awkwardly sitting around a sheet cake with her parents. "You go and do what you need to do. I'll find a way to entertain myself. I promise. You can make it up to me on Saturday, if you want."

"All right," Selina replied. "That's what we'll do then."

* * *

"Guess what day it is?" Amanda said when she slinked into Viktor's classroom on Friday before anyone else showed up. Then, before Viktor even had a chance to guess, she blurted out, "It's my birthday! I'm finally eighteen!"

That finally got Viktor's attention. He looked up at her, his eyes wide. "You are, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded and leaned forward to kiss him. "So…what do I get for a birthday present? Can you and I hang out tonight?"

Viktor sighed. "I know that's what you want and I'd be more than happy to give it to you, but I don't know if Alexandra will be out."

"But can we take a chance anyway?" Amanda asked. "Come on, Viktor! It's my birthday!"

"All right," Viktor sighed. "If Alexandra goes out, I'll call you, and you can come over. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, it is," Amanda nodded. "Thanks. If this works out, it'll be my best birthday present ever."

"And the fact that you're legal now just makes it all better, doesn't it?" Viktor smiled.

* * *

Soon after her parents had left, Amanda drove over to Viktor's just like they planned. Emboldened by the fact that she didn't see Alexandra's car in the driveway, Amanda strode to the front door, knocked, and when Viktor answered it, threw herself in his arms and began to kiss him.

"Happy birthday," he told her. He led her to the kitchen and then went to get something from the basement, but he wouldn't tell her what it was. When he got back upstairs, she saw he was holding a tray with two chocolate cupcakes and two glasses of champagne. One of the cupcakes had a lit candle stuck in the rainbow frosting.

"I thought I should get you a little something for your birthday," Viktor replied. "Has it been good so far?"

"It's been all right," Amanda nodded. "I told Mom and Dad that I didn't want anything big and they've done a pretty good job of listening to my wishes. I was really hoping that the big party would be the one between you and me, to be honest, so I'm glad this all worked out."

They ate their cupcakes and drank their champagne and then Viktor said, "What would you like to do now? Do I need to guess?"

"Mom and Dad are gone tonight, and since Alexandra is too, so I was thinking that maybe we could do something a little different…you know, like having sex in a bed?" Amanda waggled her eyebrows suggestively. "Think about it. It's something we've never actually done before. It would be fun. What do you say?"

"Alexandra could be back at any time," Viktor told her. "But what the hell? I suppose a brief (and I do mean _brief_) session in bed couldn't hurt."

"All right," Amanda smiled. "I'll take it!" She headed in the direction of the bedrooms while Viktor threw the cupcake wrappers and candle away and washed the wine glasses before looking for Amanda. When he found her, he was full of dismay. She was sitting naked on his and Alexandra's bed.

"Of the many rooms in this place, you picked this one?" He asked. "Do you realize this is my and Alexandra's room and my and Alexandra's bed?"

"Yeah, I figured as much," Amanda nodded. "But I wanted you to have at least _one_ pleasant sexual experience on this mattress. Come on and get your clothes off. We're wasting time."

When Viktor still hesitated, Amanda sighed and undressed him herself. He then ran his hands gently over her body and kissed her before they both climbed into bed and threw the sheets over themselves.

It took them a little while to get the positioning right, but when they did, things went very well. Viktor took her in his arms and nibbled on her neck and earlobe, and ran his hands down her inner thighs before entering her several times.

"Well, you're not wasting any time, are you?" Amanda asked.

"Like I told you," Viktor replied, "I don't know how much time we have. I'm amazed I had it in me to do any foreplay."

"I'm not complaining," Amanda smiled as he kissed her again.

Although they'd begun with a goal of keeping track of the time, they soon got distracted by each other, and didn't notice when Alexandra got home and came into the bedroom.

"Well, well, well," she said, causing Viktor to freeze. "What do we have here? Were you a little lonely while I was gone, Viktor?"

"I can explain," Viktor replied, rolling off Amanda and turning to face his wife.

"I don't want you explanations," Alexandra said curtly. I want your trampy child mistress out of here! And I'll be telling her father about this!"

Amanda got out of bed, dressed, and faced Alexandra, standing proud and tall. "You can tell my father all you want, but it won't matter. It won't matter that the only time Viktor has been happy has been with me and not you. You can call me trampy. You can call me a child. But it doesn't change the fact that this whole thing happened because you're a frigid bitch. And now that he's with me, Viktor won't stand for it anymore."

"Oh, he won't, will he?" Alexandra replied and turned back to her husband. "Is that right, Viktor?"

"Amanda, I think you should go," Viktor got out. "And I also think it would be best if…if you and I didn't see each other outside of class anymore."

"Excuse me?" Amanda scoffed. "What the hell do you mean by that? Don't tell me you're letting her push you around. I'm not scared of her threats. I _love_ you, Viktor!"

"I know you're not scared of her threats, and I love you too, but I…" He looked at Alexandra and paused, then found the courage to continue speaking. "I care about you too much to let you be subjected to all the gossip and slander that will result from this getting out. I want you to have a good reputation. No man is worth that being ruined. Not even me."

"Fine," Amanda got out. "Whatever. I understand. It's all bullshit, but you keep whatever fantasy you need to going on in your head in order to keep yourself sane. I just hope all of Alexadra's crap is worth it." Before leaving, she threw out one last parting shot to her rival: "I have to compliment you on your choice of mattress. It's very, very comfy. Have you noticed that?"

Alexandra's face was drained of the little color left in it, and then Amanda strode from the house, laughter on her lips.


	19. Talking Like Civilized People

"Can we talk?" Alexandra said to Elijah after knocking on his classroom door at the end of the day soon after Amanda's birthday. "I promise it'll only take a minute."

"Of course," Elijah said and invited her in.

"I just saw the most disturbing thing the other day," she said and sighed dramatically before sitting down at a desk and pushing a strand of blonde hair that had escaped her swept up hairdo. "And it involves your daughter, so I thought you'd like to know."

"What is it?" Elijah asked, feeling panic rise up. "Is she taking drugs? Did she cheat on a paper? What happened?"

"The night of her birthday, I came home from doing some errands and I-I found her in bed with Viktor," Alexandra got out as she looked him in the eye. "They've obviously been sneaking around behind our backs and now your daughter has gotten bold enough to go after my husband in my own house!"

"Don't you blame my daughter!" Elijah shot back. "Viktor is _clearly_ troubled, and I _know_ you don't give as much to your marriage as you should. If you had just fulfilled your wifely duties in satisfactory manner, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

Alexandra didn't know how to respond to that cause she knew that whatever she said, it would make her look bad. So, she just gave Elijah a hard slap instead and then strode from the room. Elijah took a deep breath and rubbed his red cheek before striding over to Viktor's room and coming in without knocking.

"All right, stand up!" He demanded of Viktor, who was sitting at his desk and grading papers.

Viktor looked up at him and saw the fury in his eyes. "What's the matter?" He asked before getting to his feet. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"You can tell me why it never occurred to you to tell me about what was going on between you and my daughter," Elijah replied as he pulled Viktor up by his lapels so that only the tips of his toes brushed the floor. "Were you honestly going to have the audacity to still call yourself my friend while you continually took advantage of my daughter behind my back?" He gave Viktor a shake. "Well, were you? Answer me, damn it!"

"How…how could you possibly know about me and Amanda?" Viktor got out in a strangled voice.

"Your wife told me," Elijah replied and dropped Viktor on the floor. "So…what do you have to say for yourself? How long has this been going on?"

"Since the beginning of the year," Viktor told him, since there was no point in lying. "When she came in for her tutoring sessions, between lessons, she and I would…well, it started out as just kissing, and then it progressed into more than that. We didn't mean for it to, but it did." He didn't even try to dodge the fist that Elijah plowed into his face. And then he did it again, and again, and again.

"You were my friend!" Elijah growled with every punch. "I let you into my home! I thought you were a good man, but you're not! You're just as sleazy as every other scoundrel on the street!" He then picked him up and sank his fangs into Viktor's neck, sucking greedily, before he heard a sound that made him freeze. It was Amanda's frightened voice.

"Daddy! Daddy, what the hell are you doing to poor Viktor? Have you lost your mind?"

Elijah then dropped the heavily bleeding Viktor and turned, his face still transformed, and spattered blood staining his shirt front as he stared at his shocked daughter.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, trying to calm his breathing and get his face back to normal. "If you're here for what I think you are, that's not going to happen. You won't be seeing Viktor after school or at any other time. Not when the two of you have abused my trust for so long and he's defiled you in a way I never thought he would. Now get out of my sight before I do more things that I know I'll regret later. And I expect you to come home directly after soccer practice. If you don't, I'll bring you back _personally_, and I don't think either of us wants that."

"Yes, Daddy," Amanda replied. She was still as white as a sheet as she looked at Viktor's crumpled and bleeding body, and then, choking back tears, ran for the soccer fields without stopping.

* * *

"Okay," Selina said, looking at her very red-faced husband out of the corner of her eye as they drove home. "Repeat it again. I didn't hear what you said the first time because you're currently seething with rage."

"Amanda is sleeping with Viktor!" Elijah burst out. "Or at least she _was_. Alexandra caught them. I don't think I've ever been so disappointed in anyone. For all Annaliese's faults, at least she never had an affair with a married man."

"You know, I've sort of suspected for a while," Selina got out. "She told me she wanted new clothes to impress an older man and when Viktor joined us to see what she was trying on she had this really shocked look on her face. It was almost as if he made her feel shy. It all makes sense now."

"I don't see how you can condone this," Elijah huffed. "Our daughter is a harlot!"

"What's she done that you and I haven't?" Selina cried after putting her foot down on the brake so hard at a stoplight that Elijah banged his head on the dashboard. "You and I both were with other people when we got together. Don't you act so high and mighty when you're guilty of the same thing you blame her for, even if you don't want to admit it!"

"That is a totally different situation!" Elijah shouted. "We were both mature, consenting adults. Sure, what we did was wrong, but at least we weren't taking advantage of each other's innocence and naivete."

"Open your eyes, Elijah!" Selina cried, feeling like she wanted to kill someone again. "I know you feel like Amanda was taken advantage of, and I know that she didn't make the best choice when she did what she did, but it could have been much worse. Out of all the men she could have chosen to do this with, Viktor was a pretty good choice. Yes, he's married, but what other faults does he have? He's mature, he's sophisticated, he's exactly like you…putting aside the marriage, if he was a single man that she was with, would you complain? He's exactly the sort of man you want your daughters to marry. He's not someone she picked up at Roxie's who drinks himself into a stupor, has overly long hair, and doesn't bathe. Shock is making you turn this into something that's a lot worse than it is."

Elijah sputtered and swore, but didn't say much else. Finally, Selina told him, "You will not kick Amanda out of the house because of this. You can give her the silent treatment or whatever the hell else I know you'll do, but she's staying under our roof."

"Fine," Elijah spat. "But I'm going to make sure she understands the gravity of what she's done."

"Oh, I think she knows," Selina replied. "There's no need to beat her over the head with it anymore. I know you're being idiotic like this because you love her and what you see as her betrayal is killing you. How you handle this could be the difference between getting to have her in your life, or making sure that she and Viktor leave after he and Alexandra get divorced and you never see her again. What are you going to choose, Elijah? Think long and hard."

"All right," Elijah sighed. "I…I don't condone what she did at all, but…I'll keep my mouth shut. I'll try not to say anything that I've already said. She found me and Viktor fighting already anyway. Maybe that's scared her enough so that she'll really think before doing something like this again."

"Yeah," Selina squeezed the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white. "We can only hope."

* * *

Ever since her father had found out about her and Viktor, Amanda hadn't spent much time at home. It was only through her mother's intervention that she hadn't been sent away or locked away in an attic or something like they did with all the family disappointments in the books she always read. That was something. But at the same time, she hated always feeling like she had to be on pins and needles around her father. She knew her mother had spoken to him and it hadn't thawed him out at all. He was still speaking to her as little as possible, his look of disappointment saying more than words ever could.

But even if her mother couldn't be much help, she still had one ace up her sleeve. She drove up to the house of her cousin/half-sister Lucy (who just happened to be one of her father's favorite people in the world, and the only child from her mother's marriage to her Uncle Klaus whom her uncle loved without reservation and who also loved him in return.) Lucy had been her babysitter, and they'd been close Amanda's whole life. She parked her car outside Lucy's house and went to knock on the door, expecting that Lucy would be working so her husband Damon would answer, which was right.

"Hi, there Amanda. How are you?" Damon asked and let her in. "What can I do for you today?"

"I've been better. And you can't do anything, but thanks for offering," Amanda replied. "How easily can Lucy manipulate my dad? I really need her help."

Damon thought a moment. "I don't doubt she can handle your father pretty well," he assured Amanda. "She's in her studio right now, so it could take some time to get her attention, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind taking the time to help you out."

"Thanks," Amanda told him. "That's what I hoped you would say."

"You remember where her studio is, right?" Damon asked loudly as Amanda ran off.

"Yeah, I remember!" Amanda called back. "Don't worry!"

She made it to the right door and put her ear against it, hearing the clear strains of Saint-Saens' _Danse Macabre_, which meant Lucy was deeply involved in painting. She gave a brief knock on the door, then sat in the hallway to wait. Eventually, the music turned off, the door opened and Lucy, who'd traded her long blonde hair for a pixie cut so she wouldn't have to always wash paint out of it, poked her head out the door. "Who knocked?" She asked, before noticing Amanda. "Well, hi there! I wasn't expecting it to be you, Amanda!" She helped her cousin to her feet and then apologized for getting paint all over her from what was smeared liberally all over Lucy's smock and Lucy herself.

"That's okay," Amanda replied as they headed into the studio. "It'll wash off. I know that it comes off from experience."

"So, what's going on?" Lucy asked as she removed the oil cloth from one of the chairs and invited Amanda to sit down among the clutter of paint cans, brushes, other paintings, and empty canvas. "Did you just come to talk?"

"Actually, I need a favor," Amanda replied. "Could you shower up and come talk to my dad for me? He's in a bit of a mood with me right now."

"What happened?" Lucy asked. "Did he blow something out of proportion?"

"He found out that I was kinda sorta…having an affair with a guy who's married," Amanda replied and then blushed scarlet. "But the thing is, the guy loves me, and his wife's a total bitch. Even _Mom_ sides with me on this one."

Lucy sighed. "As much as I love our mother, being rational is not exactly one of the things she's known for. How do you know this guy loves you more than his wife and it's not just some school girl fantasy that's gonna end in heartbreak? Maybe Uncle Elijah's only trying to protect you."

"And I know that," Amanda assured her. "I know he means well, and hell, on some level, he's probably right. But he just…he blows everything _way_ out of proportion, so that even when he _is_ right, even if it's the tiniest bit, it's really hard to agree with him."

Lucy gave Amanda a look, thinking back to her own determination to be with Damon Salvatore regardless of what her father and Uncle Elijah had thought. And though she still had some doubts about what Amanda was doing, she finally gave her cousin a long hug and assured her that she'd do whatever she could to help her.

"Thank you," Amanda replied. "I know you probably still think I'm insane, but…the fact that you're helping me anyway…that really means a lot."

"Well, I've been where you've been," Lucy sighed. "I know what it's like. So let me shower and change and then we'll go try and talk some sense into your father."

* * *

Amanda stayed downstairs and chatted with Damon until Lucy had showered and changed and after Lucy gave Damon a kiss goodbye, she and Amanda were on their way back to Selina and Elijah's. Lucy knocked on the door, and when Elijah answered he, looked between his daughter and his niece and sighed.

"You really want me to see your side of this, don't you?" He asked Amanda, knowing full well why Lucy was there.

"Yes," Amanda said firmly. "I do. I know you mean well, and you have every right to be concerned, but can't we at least talk about this like civilized people?"

"Well, I suppose that since you were bold enough to convince Lucy to come all the way over here, I suppose it's only right that we talk," Elijah replied. "Come on in, you two."

Lucy and Amanda came inside, and when they were all settled in the living room, Elijah said to Lucy, "So, what horrible things has she told you about me?"

"Nothing really," Lucy shrugged. "She just said that you'd found out about her having a relationship with a married man and that although she appreciates the concern you've shown on her behalf, she wishes that you'd give her a chance to explain herself instead of immediately rushing to judgment."

"So you understand why this Viktor situation worries me?" Elijah asked Amanda. "As your mother pointed out, he's not the worst man you could have chosen, but the fact that the two of you sneaked around behind my back instead of just being honest…that's what upsets me. I feel it demonstrates a lack of trust in me."

"Well, think about how you reacted," Amanda replied. "If you knew that someone would react that way if you told them something like what happened between me and Viktor…would _you_ be honest?"

Elijah sighed, memories of his childhood when he and his siblings would sneak away from their parents and do all sorts of forbidden things all the while hoping they wouldn't be caught for fear of being horribly punished flooding back into his mind. "No…" he said at last. "No I wouldn't. I suppose that I could do better at controlling my temper so that you would actually feel you could _talk_ to me."

"I would like that," Amanda replied. "I'm sorry Viktor and I did what we did without telling you. It was just something that happened, you know? We didn't mean to hurt anyone." She paused. "Well, actually, I didn't mind hurting Alexandra. She deserved it after the way she's treated Viktor all these years." Then, she gave her father a look. "Can't you do something about that, Daddy? Can't you tell him that Alexandra is horrible for him and that it would be better for everyone if they just got a divorce?"

"Well, I don't think it's my place to do such a thing," Elijah replied as Lucy put a hand on Amanda's back. "But I suppose that things can only move in that direction now that Alexandra knows about you and Viktor."

"I hope so," Amanda nodded and gave Lucy a hug. "I really do."


	20. Out In The Open

Fortunately for Christine, things between Amanda and Elijah had calmed down before her next visit so she wasn't dragged into it. In fact, (perhaps because he actually realized that he'd really overstepped with Amanda) Elijah almost tried _too hard_ to get on Christine's good side. He let her stay up much later than he usually allowed, eat dinner away from the dining room table, and when she and Amanda had their music on too loud, instead of asking them to turn it down, he just went to another part of the house where he wouldn't hear it. When he let the girls have friends over for a party, Christine asked, "Are you all right, Mr. Mikaelson? You're acting so unlike yourself."

"I'm fine," Elijah said. "I'm just…I'm trying to be more flexible."

"Ah," Christine nodded. "Okay. We promise we won't leave a giant mess when everyone comes over."

"I know you won't," Elijah replied as he began packing up all the breakable antiques. "I trust you."

"You need any help?" Selina asked a few minutes later. "Or would you rather try and win that Father of the Year medal all by yourself?"

"I'm letting Christine and Amanda have a party," Elijah told her. "As long as we're here, it shouldn't be a problem…_right_?" He looked slightly worried as he said the last word.

"It'll be fine," Selina assured him and gave him a hug and a kiss. "You're trying to establish trust. That's good. I'm very proud of you."

"Maybe for me and the girls," Elijah agreed as Selina felt him shake slightly in her grip. "But for my nerves, not so much."

"Why don't you just go into your office, have a drink, find some way to distract yourself, and I'll handle this?" Selina suggested. "You don't have to be directly involved."

"Are you sure?" Elijah asked. "I mean, letting them have this party was my idea. That means I should supervise it."

"I don't think that's a good idea if your nerves are completely shot," Selina told him. "Don't worry. Just go, try to relax, and I'll handle everything. All right?"

"Okay," Elijah nodded. "Perhaps you know best." He let Selina hustle him off to his office and shut the door just as the first kids were arriving for the party.

* * *

Eventually, the house was full of people, but true to Christine and Amanda's word, things were kept reasonably in order and nothing got out of control. The fact that everyone seemed to regard Selina as being cool (or at least not incredibly lame) seemed to help that. If Elijah had run things, the house probably would have been destroyed in two seconds. Although Selina did have to confiscate some alcohol at one point and send the kids who brought it home, that was really the only trouble, and by the time it was all over, Christine and Amanda had been put on the "cool" list and were the envy of their classmates. When everyone was gone, Christine and Amanda helped Selina clean up the mess, and when it was all clean, and the girls had left to go meet some of their friends, Selina finally told Elijah that the coast was clear.

"Thanks for letting me know," Elijah said, breathing a sigh of relief as he put his arms around her. "I can't say I'm not relieved."

"You weren't disturbed, were you?" Selina asked. "The music was on pretty loud at one point. They said they needed it that way for the dancing. I got them to turn it down a little, but not much."

"No, it's fine," Elijah assured her. "It didn't bother me. Where are the girls now?"

"They went out," Selina replied. "They should be back later this evening."

"So you and I have the house to ourselves?" Elijah asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded, coming to put her arms around him and give him a kiss. "Does that give you any ideas?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Yes, it does." He then pushed a strand of loose hair out of her eyes and leaned forward to kiss her before grabbing her hand and leading her to the bedroom where they both undressed and then climbed into bed. Elijah ran his hands over Selina's body and kissed up her inner thighs before slipping inside her with his tongue briefly and then coming up to kiss her as he slipped inside her.

Selina was surprised he was able to perform as well as he did because she feared that thoughts about Viktor and Amanda would interfere with that (which was not something she mentioned out loud). When he finally rolled off her and took her in his arms again, kissing her hair. "It's nice to be alone, isn't it?" He asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "It is. I like it."

"Me too," Elijah replied. "Me too."

By the time Amanda and Christine came home, Selina and Elijah had fallen asleep already and they didn't see them again until breakfast Sunday morning.

* * *

"Thanks for letting us have the party," Christine thanked Elijah the next morning, then drank some blood and took a bite out of her toast. "I know you're not exactly a party person."

"It's no trouble," Elijah replied. "Things seemed to have been kept well in hand."

"Yeah, they were," Amanda assured her father. "We all kept a close eye on that."

"Are you girls going out again today?" Selina asked.

"No, I want to stay in, personally," Christine replied. "You know, enjoy it here while I can." She looked at Elijah. "Do you think you can talk to Mom about me having more visiting days, Mr. Mikaelson?"

"If you really want to, of course I'll talk to your mother," Elijah replied, a little surprised that she was so eager to see more of him.

"Thanks," Christine replied. "I mean, it's perfect cause what with Mom dating so much now and all, I hardly ever see her anyway. And I have this feeling she'll want to start bringing her date home, and I do _not_ want to be around for that. The apartment's almost too small for two people. Imagine how crowded it will be with three."

"I'l see what I can do," Elijah assured her. "I promise."

* * *

Elijah and Viktor's last run-in had (obviously) made a long-lasting impression on Viktor to the point where the man had stayed away. Finally, one day Elijah invited him over to apologize.

Viktor didn't believe him at first, until Elijah handed the phone over to Selina, who assured him that Elijah was, in fact, ready to sincerely apologize.

"I even made a cake for the occasion," Selina said.

"All right, I'll come," Viktor agreed at last. "I have some news I need to tell Elijah anyway."

"Good," Selina replied. "See you when you get here." She ended the call and then Elijah asked, "Why did you need to make the cake so big? Four people don't need to eat all that."

"But I can't write what I need to write on a small cake," Selina informed him. "See?"

Elijah looked down to read it. "**I'm sorry I was judgmental, hurled unfair accusations in your direction, and tried to kill you.**" He chuckled dryly. "You don't see that on every cake, do you?"

"No, but I really do think it's called for in this situation," Selina replied. "Don't you?"

"Yes," Elijah agreed and put his arm around his wife. "I suppose it is."

As one more gesture of trust, Elijah told Amanda that Viktor was coming and that she should be the one to open the door when he arrived.

"I think if anyone else answers the door, Viktor just might run screaming in the other direction," Elijah confessed to his daughter. "So would you make sure he actually comes inside?"

"If you don't freak out and try and stop me, of course I will," Amanda replied. "No problem."

"I won't interfere," Elijah replied. "I swear."

"Okay," Amanda nodded as Elijah got out of sight. She waited until the doorbell rang then opened the door. When he saw her, Viktor's eyes lit up and he threw his arms around her before pausing and casting a hunted look around. "Elijah, if you're here, I just want to hug her," he called out. "That's all, I swear."

"It's fine," Amanda assured him. "Daddy's learning to trust and he knows that if he antagonizes you, you won't stay."

"All right," Viktor replied and hugged her long enough that it could actually be called a hug, but not long enough to make Elijah nervous. He then told Amanda, "Alexandra and I have decided to separate. It's not exactly divorce, but I'm sure we'll get there eventually."

"I can't say I'm not happy about that or that I'm sorry," Amanda told him. "You understand that, right?"

"Yes," Viktor replied. "Of course I understand. Now, are you absolutely positive it's safe for me here?"

"It is," Amanda nodded. "Come and look at the cake Mom made for the occasion."

When Viktor saw it and read what it said, he had to chuckle. "Are those supposed to be your father's words?" He wanted to know.

"Yep," Amanda nodded and kissed his cheek. "Who else's?" They got a few more minutes alone and then Selina presented herself. "Hello, Viktor," she greeted him with a smile. "I'm so glad you came. Can I get you a drink, or some cake or something?"

"All right," Viktor nodded. "I would love that." He started to follow her into the kitchen to ask if he could help, but she just shook her head and urged him back into the living room to be with Amanda, and then came out with cake and a glass of lemonade for him a few minutes later.

As he was eating, Elijah finally came out, and when he saw him, Viktor choked. Amanda whacked him on the back a few times and assured him that it would all be okay, and when Viktor could speak again, he said, "Hello, Elijah. Alexandra and I have separated," trying not to have any fear show in his voice.

"Hello, Viktor," Elijah replied, inclining his head. "If you're eating cake, can I assume you know what it said? And that news about you and Alexandra is good if you want to have a relationship with my daughter."

"Yes," Viktor nodded. "I do. And I also know what the cake said for sure. But I get to hear the same words from you, don't I?"

"You do," Elijah nodded and took a deep breath before saying, "I apologize for attacking you. It was rash, it was cruel, and I shouldn't have done it, regardless of what motivated me in the first place."

"Thank you," Viktor nodded and cautiously moved closer to Amanda, who put a calming hand on his back. "So…does that mean I have permission to date your daughter without the threat of retaliation hanging over my head?"

Elijah stared at the pair in silence for a long time before saying at last, "What goes on in your relationship with Amanda is none of my business anymore. If she wants to have a relationship with you, now that I know about it, I promise I won't interfere."

"Really?" Amanda asked. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes," Elijah replied. "Yes, I do."

"Thank you," Viktor told him and stuck out his hand. Elijah shook it and then Selina clapped her hands and smiled. "Well, isn't this nice that we're all getting along now?"

"Yes," Elijah mumbled. Although he didn't say another word or act out against Viktor anymore, he still kept his eyes on the pair and Selina had to hold his hand so it wouldn't twitch whenever Viktor or Amanda held hands or gave each other a loving look.

After the party, Amanda and Viktor announced that they wanted to go out for a drive.

"What a good idea!" Selina said. "It's a lovely day to do that. You'll have a great time."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I hope…I hope you enjoy yourselves." That was all he said. He didn't mention a curfew, or give Viktor any menacing warnings about taking care of his daughter. He just let them go, trusting that they'd be back in good time as Selina put her arms around him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

* * *

"It was really surprising sendoff your father gave us," Viktor said as they drove away. "It's almost like he trusts us or something."

"He's trying to, poor man," Amanda replied. "He knows he overstepped and he's trying to repair the damage, even though I know he's probably gonna spent the entire time we're out pacing his office and then looking out the downstairs window by the front door until we come back."

"Which is why I think, at least for the first couple of dates, we should try and get back at a reasonable hour," Viktor replied. "Don't you?"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "I do. Letting Daddy ease into the idea of us being together is a good idea. He was already plunged into it a lot quicker than he should have been, thanks to Alexandra."

Viktor heard her name and scoffed. "You have no idea how glad I am to be away from that woman." He took one hand off the steering wheel, put it in Amanda's before bringing the back of her hand to his lips and kissing it.

"I think I do," Amanda smiled. "And believe me I'm as relieved as you are. Not just about Alexandra, but that all of this is out in the open. It was terrible hiding it all the time we did."

They then stared out at the scenery for a bit before stopping at a hiking trail and parking so they could walk down it, stopping by a tree that had several pairs of initials carved into it.

Viktor looked them over and then turned to face Amanda. "This is gonna sound really silly," he told her. "But…would you want our names on the tree too?"

"Sure," Amanda nodded. "Do you have something to carve them with?"

To her surprise, Viktor pulled a small Swiss Army knife out of his pocket. "Ever since the run in with your father, I've felt the need to have this on my person, you know…just in case." He then carved both their initials into the tree. It was crooked, but it was the best he could do.

"Sorry I'm not the best carver," he apologized to Amanda.

"I don't care," She replied and took his hand. "I think it's great."

Viktor smiled and kissed her hair. "Let's go," he said. "We have lots of trail to cover still."

They continued down the trail and then came back and got in the car. "We should do a picnic next time," Amanda suggested as they headed back to Selina and Elijah's. "Don't you think that would be fun?"

"It's been forever since I've been on a picnic," Viktor smiled. "Does your mother do lunch food too, or just desserts?"

"I'm sure if I helped her, she'd be willing to make us a basket," Amanda replied. Then she said, "Do you think that once you tell Astrid about this, she's gonna have the same scary reaction my dad did?"

"I wouldn't worry about it," Viktor assured her as they drove. "After Alexandra, I think anyone else would be acceptable to Astrid. As long as you don't make her call you 'Mom'."

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of it," Amanda replied. "Believe me."

* * *

When they reached Amanda's house, Viktor helped her out of the car and gave her a long hug and a kiss before escorting her to the door and watching her go inside. He drove off and then Amanda went to tell both her parents she was home. Elijah seemed very relieved, gave her a bone-crushing hug, and told her he didn't need details, while her mother wanted every detail that she felt comfortable sharing.

"We're thinking of doing a picnic next time," Amanda told her after telling what happened. "You think you could help me with it?"

"Sure," Selina replied. "I would love to."

* * *

Late that night, Selina found Elijah in his office, looking through albums of Amanda's baby photos. "You did really well today," she commented. "But it's still not completely okay, is it?" She came to stand behind him and knead his shoulders with her hands.

Elijah grunted and gave a nod. "Don't get me wrong. I know Amanda is more than capable of running her own life. Logically, I know that. But when I look at these pictures, I just…I miss the days when it was just her and me and the only thing she wanted to do with Viktor was bite him cause she couldn't stand him."

Selina was silent then and Elijah tilted his head up to ask, "Did you hear what I said? You're supposed to say something in response now."

"Sorry," Selina apologized. "I was waiting for the customary inquiry that usually happens in situations like this. You know, the one where you say you want to have another kid to help fill the empty hole in your heart cause one just grew up and left."

"You know, I…oddly enough, I don't feel I need that just yet," Elijah replied. "Eventually, for sure. But not now."

"Really?" Selina asked, her jaw dropping a little. "I'm truly shocked."

"I thought you would be," Elijah smiled. He took one last look at a photo of him and baby Amanda in a party hat on her first birthday and shut the album. "I think I should go to bed now."

"Yeah, I think you should too," Selina replied, letting go of his shoulders as he stood up so she could throw her arms around him and give him a kiss. "That's what I came down here for." She led him out of his office, but as they went by Amanda's room, Elijah paused. "I need to do one more thing," he told her. "I'll be in our room in a little bit."

Selina nodded and stepped away while Elijah stepped into Amanda's room and shut the door behind him. She was sleeping soundly and made no indication that she'd heard him come in. He looked down at her as the light from outside of her window shone on her face before leaning down gently to kiss her forehead. He was just about to leave the room when all of a sudden, her lamp snapped on and he turned to see her sitting up in bed.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's okay," Amanda shrugged. "I was kind of expecting it since we didn't talk much after I got back today."

"How was your date?" Elijah asked.

"It was good," Amanda replied. "Don't worry. I won't give you any more details."

"I'm grateful for that," he replied. "And…thank you for being back at a reasonable hour. I know you think I'm being silly and overprotective, but…as this was the first time you and Viktor went out since you officially became a couple, I'm…I'm very appreciative that you respected my feelings."

"It's not a problem. Viktor insisted on it, actually," Amanda nodded before gesturing for Elijah to come over again so she could give him one last hug before she turned off the light, tucked herself in, wished him goodnight, and then let him head back to her mother.


	21. A Secret Code

"Would you like to come with me when I go see Christine's mother about letting her visit more often?" Elijah asked Selina.

"Do you _want_ me to come with you?" Selina asked. "Cause in the spirit of learning to trust, I'm thinking about following your example and letting you go alone."

"Are you?" Elijah asked. "Why? I personally think that's unwise, but you may do what you wish."

"No, if you want me to come, I'll come," Selina assured him. "Does she really worry you that much?"

"She's very persistent," Elijah admitted. "At least she was last time. Maybe being with Jack has cooled her off a bit."

"I doubt it," Selina replied. "If she's set on you, it'll take more than just simply having another man around to change her mind." She paused. "You know, I might come with you after all."

"I thought you'd say that and I admit that I don't blame you, but can you at least try to be civil?" Elijah requested of her. "I know that Renee's place in all this is not exactly ideal for you, and I will also agree that she can be somewhat catty and more than willing to goad you into a fight…but take the high road, please. If you can't do it for her, do it for me."

"All right," Selina sighed. "I can't promise anything, but for your sake, I'll try to be nice to Renee. But if she starts something with me first, I can't be held accountable for what I may do."

"Well, you can_ always_ be held accountable," Elijah replied. "And you should be. But as I myself don't always take the high road when my relationships are threatened, if Renee is openly trying to start trouble, I promise I won't chide you too much if you retaliate."

"Really?" Selina smiled. "That's one of the sweetest things you've ever said to me."

"Remember though, it's _only_ if she's trying to start trouble with you," Elijah reminded her as they headed to the car. "You starting trouble with her without any sort of provocation doesn't count."

"So…the fact that she exists doesn't count as provocation?" Selina wanted to know.

"No," Elijah replied flatly, taking her hand and leading her to his car. "I'm sorry to say that it doesn't."

"All right," Selina huffed. "Let's just get this stupid business over with. She knows we're coming, right?"

"She knows we're coming," Elijah confirmed, starting the car and heading to Renee and Christine's apartment building.

* * *

"Well, this is embarrassing," Renee said when she led both Elijah and Selina into the tiny apartment and Selina saw two place settings, including glasses of wine, set out at the kitchen table. "When Christine told me that you had agreed to come and talk to me about visiting time, I assumed you'd be coming alone, Elijah."

"Well, that's a dumb thing for you to assume, Renee," Selina spat as she tried to hold on to her temper. "Do you honestly think I'd be dumb enough to let him come here alone when it's clear you want to get your hands on him? And he said he told you we were _both_ coming. There's no chance I'm letting him alone near you ever!"

"You already did it once," Renee pointed out. "It could always happen again."

"What about poor Jack?" Selina cried. "What makes you think you can see him and then sniff around Elijah behind his back?"

Renee chuckled. "Jack's a good man but he's really simple, don't you think? A nice diversion, but not good enough for the long haul."

"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way about such a nice man, but even so, there's not a chance in hell you're getting my husband! I know I've already said this lots of times, but that's necessary since it doesn't seem to have penetrated that thick skull of yours. But I'd be more than happy to pound it in there!" Selina yelled while Elijah grabbed her arm so she couldn't rush Renee and rip her throat out.

"You said you were gonna be nice," Elijah reminded her via a whisper in her ear.

"I did," Selina agreed. "But you said I could fight back when provoked, and you can't say that wasn't provocation."

"It wasn't," Elijah replied. "Now let's all just calm down, do what we came to do as fast as we can, and then go home."

"Fine," Selina sighed. "Whatever."

"You should have some of the wine," Renee encouraged Elijah as he and Selina both took seats at the table. "I know it's probably not as fancy as you're used to, but it's pretty good."

Although he didn't really want to drink anything Renee offered him, Elijah took a polite sip of the red wine, and tried not to gag. It really wasn't the good stuff, but given Renee's financial circumstances, he couldn't say he was surprised.

"Good?" Renee asked.

"Sure," Elijah got out. "But I would prefer not to drink just now, if you don't mind."

"Oh, all right," Renee sighed, reaching for the glass and also ostentatiously brushing Elijah's hand with hers while Selina tried to look away and not let Renee see how much that small action affected her. "I guess I just get to have this whole bottle for myself."

"Now, about Christine…" Elijah said. "That's what we're here about, after all."

"Yes," Renee nodded. "She's around here somewhere. Let's make her part of this.

"What a sensible thing to do, letting Christine have a say in something that will affect her life," Selina smiled as Renee got up to look for her daughter.

A few minutes later, Christine came into join them. "Ms. Mikaelson? Mr. Mikaelson? What are you doing here?" She asked.

"They came to talk to me about getting more visitation," Renee told her. "If you want it, that is."

"Of course I want it!" Christine replied. "I would _love_ it."

"Well, how much more would you want?" Renee asked.

"I wouldn't want to be an inconvenience," Christine replied. "So…let's make it a three day weekend and have me come Fridays too."

"Christine, you're not an inconvenience at all," Elijah assured her. "We love having you at our house. You can be there as often as you'd like."

"So…every other week wouldn't be too much?" Christine asked.

Renee heard this and her jaw dropped a little. "Every other _week?"_

"Why not?" Christine asked her. "It'll give you freedom to bring guys home if you want. You'll have privacy then."

"Why don't you just admit the real reason you wanna leave?" Renee huffed. "You don't like living in a cramped apartment and would rather live in a big fancy house instead."

"Don't you _dare_ fault me for that," Christine told her. "I remember how many rich guys you've been with over the years. If one of them said they wanted to marry you so you could move into a big fancy house, you'd take them up on it in a second." She then turned apologetically to Elijah and Selina. "That's not the sole reason I want more visiting time. I swear."

"We know," Elijah assured her.

Eventually, Renee agreed to let Christine go to Selina and Elijah's every other week. They then left, taking a happy Christine with them, and leaving Renee alone with her wine.

* * *

"School is even _more_ intolerable now that you and I are together," Amanda huffed as she kicked the door of Viktor's car while they drove to school in the morning.

"Why?" Viktor asked. "Please explain it to me."

"Well, we can't go around being affectionate in the hallways, can we?" Amanda asked. "I'm just gonna have to sit at my desk while you teach and not let anyone know that we've kissed or that I've seen you in various states of undress. It's gonna be so _hard_!"

"I know," Viktor replied. "But what if…what if we had a code? Like, if I was at the blackboard and I said, 'I need you to look up here, Miss Mikaelson', that would mean I want to see more of your beautiful eyes. Or 'I'll need to see you after class, Miss Mikaelson' could mean I want a kiss before you leave."

Amanda smiled. "I get it. And if I were to say, 'I don't understand the assignment, Mr. Larson', it could mean I want to hear you say 'I love you' or that I want you to come over and put a hand on my arm or something. Do you think that's subtle enough?"

"I think so," Viktor replied. "Do you?"

"I'll try and make it be," Amanda replied. "It's still not enough, but it will have to do for now."

"And by the way, Astrid's happy about us," Viktor replied.

"Is that so?" Amanda smiled. "I thought she'd be horrified."

"No, she was horrified about Alexandra, not you," Viktor said. "She knows you're a good person who'll treat me well, and despite the age difference between you and I, that seems to be enough for her."

"Good," Amanda nodded. "I'll admit I was a bit nervous about seeing her now that you and I are together, but since you told me she's okay with it, I feel better now."

"I'm glad," Viktor replied, leaning over to kiss her quickly while they were paused at a stoplight. When they reached school, Amanda reluctantly said told him 'goodbye', and headed for math, sighing to herself about how much the day would drag on until it was time for her to see Viktor again.

* * *

"Miss Mikaelson, I need you to have your eyes on me, please," Viktor told Amanda firmly as he turned away from the chalkboard. As the other students laughed at her expense, Amanda was about to protest being singled out until she remembered her and Viktor's code. She looked up from intently staring at his butt and smiled. "Sorry about that, Mr. Larson," she said. "I'll pay better attention next time."

"Good," Viktor said after a few seconds of silence as he looked into her face. "See that you do." He then began lecturing, and just as Amanda was beginning to nod off from the soothing tone of his voice, he stopped lecturing and said that everyone needed to split up into groups of two and talk about any questions they might have. Some people were sick that day, so Amanda ended up not having a partner.

"It looks like you'll have to be with me," Viktor smiled.

"Good," Amanda nodded. "That's lucky. Cause I _really_ don't understand the assignment, Mr. Larson." She and Viktor then went out into the hallway (cause there wasn't any more space for them with everyone moving their desks into pairs), and sat down on the carpet.

"Are we actually gonna talk about the assignment now?" Amanda asked. "Or what?"

"I don't see why we shouldn't," Viktor replied. "I know you're very intelligent and that schoolwork is never a problem for you, but…do you honestly have any questions?"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "Can you work on making your voice less soothing? It makes me sleepy."

"Well, what if I whispered the whole lecture against your earlobe?" Viktor asked. "Would you be more awake then?"

"Maybe," Amanda nodded. "Let's try it!"

To Amanda's surprise, he actually did what she asked and whispered the first couple of lines of his lecture with his lips right up against her ear. She _definitely _didn't fall asleep then. He even nibbled on her earlobe for a little bit before quickly pulling away to rein himself in.

"So…" he said, his cheeks coloring a little. "No more questions then?"

"None," Amanda shook her head. "But you'll still need to see me after class, right?"

"Yes," Viktor nodded. "I think I will." To her surprise, he kissed her quickly before they headed back inside and had a discussion about what they'd just talked about in pairs. Amanda sighed. She was bored again. The Great Depression was so much more interesting when it was being whispered against her earlobe.

Once everyone had packed up and left, Amanda, of course, stayed behind, coming up to Viktor's desk and leaning across it to give him a kiss. "I feel much better about this now that my father and Alexandra know," she said. "Don't you?"

"Yeah," Viktor smiled and came to give her a hug. "I do."


	22. The Second Date

"I'm mentally prepared to meet more relatives whenever you'd like," Christine told Elijah.

"You…you mean you actually _want _to?" Elijah asked in surprise. "You're a brave soul."

Christine shrugged. "I mean, I already know what Eva's like and they can't be worse than her, right?"

"True," Elijah replied. "You should just be prepared for anything."

"Who should I meet first?" Christine wanted to know.

"I think it would be easier for you if you met everyone at once," Elijah replied. "How about we arrange a party and have everyone come?"

"I don't know," Christine replied. "I'm not much for dressing up, but I want to make a good impression."

"We can find something that will work," Selina assured her. "It shouldn't be hard at all."

"All right," Christine nodded at her. "I trust you."

After Amanda came back from an outing with Rosalie, Elijah told her about the party.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Amanda wanted to know as she came to stand by Christine. "Everyone coming all at once when she just found out we're her family not too long ago? Don't you think it's a bit much?"

"I told him that I was ready for it," Christine replied. "And I am."

"Are you sure?" Amanda asked. "You're gonna have a lot of nutty people in one room. It can get overwhelming, even if you know what you're getting into."

"Thanks for your concern," Christine replied with a smile. "But my mom took me to things with the wolf pack she's part of my whole life. Between that and my friendship with Eva, I'm sure I can handle whatever happens without being bothered by it too much."

"All right," Amanda nodded, amazed by Christine's attitude. "But if you ever do need information on anyone, or a pep talk, or whatever, just let me know."

"Thank you," Christine told her. "I sure will." Then, after Selina and Christine had gone to look through Christine's clothes and see if she had a suitable outfit, or if they needed to go to the store to get one, Amanda hesitantly asked Elijah, "Would it be all right if I brought Viktor with me to the party? He had a bad night a few days ago. Alexandra called him, shrieking her head off just after midnight about some psycho breaking into her house and leaving a dead body in her shower."

"Did she?" Elijah asked. "Can I ask how Alexandra's been treating you since that happened? Better? Worse? I really hope it's not worse."

"Well, things haven't gotten _better_, that's for sure," Amanda replied. "But then again, I expected that. It'd be a bit rich for me to expect to be best friends with the woman whose husband I stole. But she's also not been any worse, either."

"Well, as long as she's not treating you worse," Elijah nodded. "I'm glad."

"So…can I invite Viktor to be my date for the party, or would that be too awkward for you?" Amanda asked.

"No, by all means, bring him," Elijah encouraged her. "But thank you for asking me first."

"You're welcome," Amanda replied. "I'll ask him at school Monday. I hope he says 'Yes'."

* * *

"You wanna come to a party with me?" Amanda asked Viktor.

"I'm not good at parties," Viktor told her. "I was always the one sitting in the corner." He paused. "What sort of party are we talking about?"

"Well, you know that Christine's my half-sister, right?" Amanda asked as she boosted herself on his desk. Viktor was grateful that this was one of his off periods and the door was closed so no one saw her.

"I do now," Viktor nodded. "What about it?"

"Well, she wants to meet the family, and Dad thinks it'll be easier for her if she meets everyone at once," Amanda replied. "You wanna be my date? I mean, you already asked me out once. I think it's my turn now."

"Sure," Viktor nodded. "Why not?"

"But just to warn you," Amanda clarified, "_Everyone_ is gonna be there. Or at least as many people as will fit in our house. If that's too much for you, you don't have to come. I'd totally understand."

"Thank you for your concern," Viktor told her. "But I think I can handle it. And does your father know you're inviting me?"

"Sure he does," Amanda nodded. "I asked him before I asked you."

"Good," Viktor breathed a sigh of relief. "We don't want any more episodes like we had when your father found out about us."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "Cause murder is never a good thing to have happen at a party. Even in our family. The party is this upcoming Saturday. You want me to come pick you up, or would you like to just come by yourself?"

"Oh, come pick me up, please," Viktor smiled. "I'd like that very much."

"All right," Amanda nodded and hopped off his desk before giving him a kiss. "I'll come and pick you up. I promise not to forget."

"Good," Viktor said. "I can't wait."

"Yeah," Amanda replied. "Me neither."

* * *

"I didn't know I was supposed to have a date," Christine said when she came to the door and noticed Amanda and Viktor holding hands as they came inside the house together. Viktor immediately dropped Amanda's hand and backed away from her a little. "He's not my date," Amanda told Christine quickly. "He's a family friend and we just arrived at the same time. As for why we were holding hands…mine was cold and he was warming it."

The excuse was flimsy, but both Amanda and Viktor were relieved when Christine didn't push the issue and brought them into the party.

"Well, you don't look overwhelmed," Amanda remarked. "Getting along with everyone all right?"

"I've spent the most time talking to Mr. Mikaelson's brother Klaus," Christine replied. "I like him more than everyone else. I should probably mingle more."

"You were smart to only stay talking with one person until I got here," Amanda told her. "When you want to meet others, let me know and we'll go together."

Christine then noticed Selina's dad talking with Elijah. "Who's that?" She asked. "He's cute!"

"He's my grandpa," Amanda smiled. "Mom's dad. A human turned into a vampire when he was twenty-two."

"Is he nice?" Christine wanted to know.

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "He knows how to deal with werewolves. Trust me."

"Can you take me to meet him?" Christine requested. "Please?"

"Sure," Amanda nodded. Then she asked Viktor, "Are you gonna be able to find someone to talk to?"

"Oh, of course," Viktor assured her. "You go be with Christine. I'll be fine by myself."

"All right," Amanda nodded. "I promise to come back to you eventually." She then took Christine over to meet Selina's father, Matthew.

"Amanda says you know a thing or two about werewolves," Christine told him. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "My wife was werewolf kin, although her whole family was so terrified of the consequences of turning that they never did. Well, except for her brother who was murdered. He was active at the time of his death."

"I'm a werewolf," Christine replied. "Well, I _could _be. I'm not active yet. And I'm a vampire too."

"Christine is my half-sister," Amanda explained to her grandfather.

"Well, hello, Christine," Matthew smiled and took her hand. "Welcome to the family."

"Thank you," Christine replied, surprised by how civil he was. She'd expected him to be hostile cause her mother was someone who wasn't his daughter, but he obviously didn't care.

"He's nice," Christine remarked as she and Amanda went to talk to someone else.

"Yep," Amanda nodded. "Mom gets her easy-going nature from him. He's hardly fazed by anything."

Meanwhile, Elijah had begun talking to Klaus when Christine had gone to answer the door. "According to Amanda, Alexandra had a very unpleasant encounter soon after you told me you'd warn her about staying away from my daughter. I gather that unpleasant encounter had something to do with you?"

"Yes," Klaus admitted. "She has no indication that it's me who's doing it, and I didn't actually say anything about Amanda the first time, but next time I will."

"Good," Elijah nodded. "Keep up the good work."

"And continue to not tell you about it?" Klaus smirked.

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Exactly."

Klaus then gave Elijah a salute and went to talk to Kol. If he couldn't tell Elijah what he'd done to Alexandra, surely Kol would appreciate it.

"Seriously, Nik?" Kol smirked. "You sneaked into a woman's bathroom in the middle of the night and put a dead body in her shower?"

"I did," Klaus nodded. "Her screams were glorious!"

"If you ever need help, just let me know," Kol told him. "I'd be glad to give you a hand."

"All right," Klaus nodded. "You probably need the experience. Margot doesn't let you do much, does she?"

"Yes," Kol nodded ruefully. "About as much as Amy allows you."

"I've actually done some killing on the sly," Klaus told him. "Amy doesn't know about it."

"Is that so?" Kol smirked. "Very impressive, Nik."

"Thank you," Klaus replied. "Do you still have to go hunting with your son-in-law? Or does he know the ropes by now?"

"Of course he does," Kol replied, eying Declan, who was with Regina and Victoria as they talked to Eva and Sean. "Now he and Regina are teaching Victoria. She's very adept, that girl."

It was at that moment that Kol's dark-eyed granddaughter broke away from her parents and came to stand with him and Klaus instead. "What are you two talking about?" She asked, pushing her brown hair out of her eyes. "It has to be more interesting than what Mom and Dad are talking about with Eva and Sean."

"I was just telling your uncle here how good you're doing with your hunting," Kol told her.

Victoria sighed. "I don't think I'm that good. The other day when Daddy took me out, the guy I was hunting almost got away!"

"Well, you're just starting out, darling," Kol told her. "Don't be too hard on yourself. If your parents don't take you out enough, I'd be more than happy to give you a little extra practice."

"You would?" Victoria asked. "I think I'd like that." She then went to tell her parents and Kol looked at his brother. "Can you believe her? She's such an enthusiastic little thing."

"They always are at first," Klaus nodded. "Sometimes it sticks, sometimes it doesn't."

"So…do you still want me to help you with your killing?" Kol wanted to know.

"Sure, if you can get away," Klaus replied. "I don't think I'd mind at all."

Viktor had been talking with Elijah when Amanda came and put a hand on her father's arm. "You mind if I borrow Viktor for a bit?" She asked.

"No, go ahead," Elijah told her. He wanted to say something about leaving the doors of any rooms they went into open, especially if those rooms contained beds, but he stopped himself cause he figured Viktor would be cautious about something like that. So he just watched his daughter and friend go, and when they walked into one of the bedrooms that wasn't being used and Amanda started to close the door, Viktor said quickly, "Leave it open, please."

"Why?" Amanda asked. "Are you worried about Daddy?"

"Do you really want to push our luck?" Viktor pointed out.

"No," Amanda sighed, leaving the door open and going to sit on the bed. "It's nice to have a little peace and quiet though, isn't it?" She asked.

"It is," Viktor came to sit beside her and took her in his arms. "I mean, I love your family and when you and I marry, this is what it's gonna be like, so I have to be prepared, but…yes, peace and quiet is nice too."

"You really wanna marry me?" Amanda asked.

"I do," Viktor nodded. "But not until you've graduated."

"Sure," Amanda nodded. "I knew that was coming."

Viktor then kissed her hair, they sat in each other's arms for a little while longer, and then, after taking deep breaths, went back to the party where Viktor chatted with Klaus and Amanda went to help her mother with the snacks.


	23. Protecting Amanda

Klaus' terrorizing put a slight kink in Amanda and Viktor's relationship because the body in her shower made Alexandra so terrified to be alone that she basically guilted Viktor into staying with her every night.

"You don't have to do what she says, you know," Amanda pointed out. "Now that you're separated, you don't have any obligation to her."

"I know that," Viktor nodded. "But she doesn't have anyone else, and I don't feel good leaving her alone in her apartment knowing that someone could come along and hurt her."

Amanda scoffed. "She's not some defenseless damsel in distress! She has _magic_ for god's sake! If there's an intruder in her house, she can get rid of them with her powers. I mean, I understand why you feel the need to get involved and all, but…she's a big girl and she can handle herself. Remember that part of the reason why you separated from her was that you weren't happy in your marriage."

"Right," Viktor nodded. "I'm sure you're right."

"Of course I am!" Amanda smiled and leaned against him with a smile.

It was then that her father came upon them and suggested they go on the front porch.

"I'd be more than happy to," Viktor smiled. "I have one of those fancy rings that'll stop me from being burned alive. My daughter made it for me."

"I thought you've had that since the school started," Amanda remarked.

"I have," Viktor nodded. "I just can't get over what a marvel it is, though."

"Yeah, I understand," Amanda nodded. "Not everyone gets them, you know. You have to be on good terms with a willing witch or warlock who'll do the spell for you, and your standard vampire usually doesn't have that kind of clout."

"Well, I guess that makes me lucky then," Viktor smiled and then held out his arm to escort Amanda onto the porch.

"It's been some time since we've seen you," Elijah commented when they were all sitting down. "What's been going on lately? Nothing bad, I hope?"

"In a way, yes," Viktor nodded. "Some person has been terrorizing Alexandra, and it's scared her so much that she's unwilling to stay in her house alone at night. I've been staying with her just to ease her mind."

"Isn't that interesting?" Elijah said. "Has she been hurt?"

"No," Viktor shook his head as Elijah let out a relieved breath. "Just badly frightened."

"Well, I'm relieved she isn't hurt," Elijah got out, although he was secretly glad that Klaus was doing exactly what he'd been told to do, and it seemed to be working. He stood up and said, "I have to step away for a little while. I trust you two will be all right without me?"

"We will," Amanda nodded. "And if you're worried at all, remember Mom's in the house too, so she can watch us like a hawk."

"I'm not worried," Elijah told her. "I trust you. Don't worry."

He then headed off to Klaus' where he found him in conference with Kol.

"What do you think _he's_ doing here?" Kol asked Klaus when he noticed Elijah. "Has he come to scold us for all our mischief against that woman?"

"He wouldn't," Klaus assured him. "It was Elijah's idea for me to terrorize her in the first place."

"And as far as that's concerned, you seem to have done remarkably well," Elijah commented. "You made Alexandra so terrified that she's scared to be home alone anymore, especially at night."

Klaus chuckled. "You're welcome," he said. "It's always nice to get praise for a job well done. This next time, I might actually mention something about Amanda."

"Just don't kill her or hurt her," Elijah cautioned. "I only want her frightened is all."

Kol glared at his brother, took a pen, and scribbled out some of the ideas he and Klaus had come up with. "There goes the actual _fun_ part of this job," he huffed. "Why don't you want her dead? That would be the easiest way to be sure Amanda is safe."

"She hasn't actually _done_ anything to Amanda physically," Elijah pointed out. "Now, if she were to cause Amanda actual, physical harm, then of course you'd have every right to do what you deem necessary. But until then, the psychological warfare is enough."

"Oh, all right," Kol replied. "Whatever you say, brother." But when Elijah headed out, Kol and Klaus eyed one another with matching smirks on their faces.

"He _did_ say that if Amanda was harmed, we could do whatever we wanted," Kol said. "Do you really think we should? Or would that be mean?"

"Amanda's a strong girl," Klaus pointed out. "It's not like she wouldn't heal from whatever Alexandra does to her. And it's for the best in the end. A few minutes of pain for a lifetime of being happy with Viktor without Alexandra's interference. I'd say we're doing her a favor, don't you?"

"Yes, we are," Kol agreed. "We really are. But we should wait. It's too early to do it now. We need to plan and come up with something really memorable."

"You're right," Klaus nodded. "We'll just bide our time and terrify her for now. That's good enough."

* * *

"Are you worried about how Alexandra will treat Amanda now that she and Viktor are together?" Elijah asked Selina.

"No," Selina shook her head. "Are you?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Yes I am."

"I should have thought so," Selina said. "What are you planning to do about it? You know that breaking them up isn't an option."

"Of course not," Elijah cleared his throat. "Which is why, although I normally do not condone any sort of violence, I've asked Niklaus to frighten Alexandra a bit so she'll stay away from our daughter." As Selina's jaw dropped, he said quickly, "I know it's petty and I should be above such behavior, but can you blame me for being worried?"

"No, I can't," Selina shook her head. "And I don't. I'm still shocked though. In a good way. You could have asked me, though. I would have done it. Going all werewolf on her ass would have been easy."

"You know I don't like you doing anything that will bring you back into old bad habits," Elijah said firmly. "Klaus is past redemption in that way, but you…you still have a chance and I don't want to wreck it just because I want to head Alexandra's bad behavior off at the pass."

"I get it," Selina nodded. "I'm a good person so Klaus gets to have all the fun, even though it's _my_ daughter who's in danger. I understand. I'm not upset."

Elijah sighed. "You're going to want to do something anyway, aren't you?"

"Duh," Selina replied. "It's not a good idea to try and stop a mother from defending her child. I'm going to do this whether you like it or not."

* * *

"Thank you for staying with me at night," Alexandra told Viktor. "I know that we're separated and you have every right not to care for me, but I've been so frightened recently, and…" she trailed off when she noticed Viktor was shaking his head.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I can't stay with you anymore," Viktor told her. "You're a grown woman, and you have magic. Whatever is going on, you're perfectly capable of taking care of it. I have a life to get on with and a woman who makes me happy. You understand that, don't you?"

"I suppose," Alexandra replied.

"Good," Viktor nodded. "I'll see you at school tomorrow. Have a good night." He left the house then, getting in his car and driving away. Once he was gone, Selina came out of the bushes and knocked on Alexandra's front door. It took some time before Alexandra's frightened voice called out from the other side, "Who is it?"

"It's Selina," she called back. "May I come in?"

The door opened to her then and Alexandra hustled her inside. "I have no idea what you're doing here, but I'm very grateful," she said. "I suppose you've heard about the terrifying experience I had a short time ago? With the dead body in my shower and those horrifying words on my mirror that were written in blood?"

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "I've heard about that. I hope it doesn't happen to you again."

"I hope so too," Alexdra said. She magicked a fire in the fireplace and then turned all the lights on. "I'm going to bed now," she said. "You…you wouldn't mind standing guard?"

"No, that's what I'm here for," Selina replied. "Elijah heard and he insisted I come."

"Well, isn't that nice?" Alexandra asked as she made her way up the stairs. "Goodnight."

"Can I ask you one thing before you go?" Selina wondered aloud.

"Sure," Alexandra paused. "What?"

"How do you feel about my daughter and Viktor being a couple?" Selina wanted to know.

"Well, I can't say I'm happy," Alexandra replied. "I have had several good dreams where she's out of the way, but I suppose that it's pointless to try and do that in real life." She then headed off to bed and as soon as her bedroom door closed, Selina let out a growl, climbed up the stairs, and then transformed, stalking the hallways and letting out growls until Alexandra opened her bedroom door and let out a shriek of terror. She tried to stop Selina with shots of magic, but nothing worked. Selina ran toward her and knocked her to the floor, ripping up Alexandra's nightgown with her wolf claws as blood poured from Alexandra's body. She was about to do more, but a couple of new scents caught her nose. She left a sobbing and terrified Alexandra on her bedroom floor and followed the scents, which brought her face to face with Kol and Klaus, who'd come to take care of Alexandra in their own way, regardless of if she'd actually hurt Amanda or not.

"It seems someone beat us here," Kol remarked as he hit the handle of a red hot fireplace poker across his hand. "What do you think we should do with it?" He lifted up the poker and was about to bring it down on Selina's head before Klaus stopped him. "You make one more move toward her, and I'll tear out your liver," he said quietly. "Step away."

"But she's interfering with what our brother told us to do," Kol pointed out. "We can't just let some werewolf take over our job."

"This is Selina, you idiot!" Klaus hissed. "Elijah probably told her what he wanted and she came to help!" He petted her and she nuzzled him. But just to make a point, she also bit Kol in the leg.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, you crazy- Kol trailed off as he hopped around and dropped the poker.

"Don't be mad at her," Klaus smirked. "You deserved that." He then went to turn off all the lights and then instructed Kol to stick the poker in the fireplace again. Then he and Selina, with Kol trailing behind, headed up the stairs, with Klaus and Selina waiting in the shadows of the hallway and glorying in Alexandra's screams as Kol burned her with the poker and sank his fangs into her neck. After taking what he wanted, he whispered in her ear, "If you want to stay alive, don't you dare hurt Amanda. Do you understand?"

Alexandra whimpered, wishing she wasn't so weak she could actually do something with her magic, and gave a small nod. Then Kol left her on the floor and he went to wait with Selina in the hallway while Klaus then reached into Alexandra's chest, grabbing hold of her heart. In the darkness, Alexandra couldn't see him, just like she hadn't been able to see Kol. "You'll stay away from my niece, right?" Klaus whispered.

"I've already said 'Yes'," Alexandra nodded, tears in her voice. "Now please just leave me alone."

"You leave Amanda alone, we'll leave you alone," Klaus told her firmly. "But if you so much as _breathe_ on her, we'll be seeing each other again, and then, I won't be feeling so merciful." He let her go then and he, Selina, and Kol went downstairs, where Selina changed and they then left the house, vowing not to tell Elijah or anyone else what had happened there. But when Kol and Klaus weren't looking, Selina felt a moment of pity and called the ambulances for the injured Alexandra.


	24. Alexandra Buries The Hatchet

"You'll never believe this," Viktor told Amanda as he came by her house with some flowers.

"Oh, you didn't have to bring those for me!" Amanda said, taking the bouquet of sunny yellow tulips from his arms. "You're so sweet!"

"I have to confess that they aren't from me," Viktor told her. "Do you like yellow tulips?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do," Amanda nodded. "But if you didn't send them, where'd they come from?"

"They came from Alexandra, of all people," Viktor said. "She told me that she feels very apologetic for interfering in our relationship and hopes that we can start in a more positive direction."

"Well, that's nice," Amanda replied. "If she's willing to bury the hatchet, I sure am. What do you think?"

Viktor shrugged and came inside. "If you forgive her, then I guess I will too."

Amanda put the flowers in a vase along with some water, and then she and Viktor sat on the couch in Selina and Elijah's living room holding hands. "Why do you think Alexandra is so willing to be on her best behavior all of a sudden?" Amanda asked. "Because for the life of me, I can't think of a logical reason."

"I can't either," Viktor replied. "But let's not question this and just be grateful that she seems to have had a change of heart and is willing to leave us alone now."

"I'm good with that," Amanda nodded and kissed him. "You won't hear any more about it from me!"

"Good," Viktor nodded. "Cause really, what good would it do to dwell on it? I think it would make things worse when we have much better things to think about. Like each other."

"And kissing!" Amanda smiled and kissed him again.

"Yes," Viktor gave her a hug when they pulled apart, his chin resting on her shoulder. "Exactly. "

Amanda then saw her father coming in the direction of the living room and then, when he saw them, backing up discreetly into the hallway. "It's all right, Daddy," she told him as she and Viktor pulled apart. "You can come in now."

"All right," Elijah nodded and took a few long strides into the room. "I just didn't want you to feel like I was intruding or anything like that."

"Oh, you weren't," Amanda assured him. "Don't worry." She smiled. "Did you know, Daddy, that it seems Alexandra has decided to finally leave us alone? Isn't that great?"

"It is," Elijah nodded. "I'm very happy for you. I was worried about the effect Alexandra would have on your relationship and frankly, I was also very worried about your safety, but now that Alexandra's made peace with the situation, it seems like I don't have to worry anymore, and I'm very grateful for that."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "Us too, for sure. Isn't that right, Viktor?"

"Yes," Viktor nodded and took Amanda in his arms again, even in front of Elijah and gently kissed her dark hair. "It certainly is."

* * *

"I have to say that I'm very pleased you seem to be on your best behavior even after your night of insanity with my brothers," Elijah observed the next day as he watched Selina pipe a swirl of pink frosting onto a cupcake. "You know how nervous I was that it would trigger something in you that would be permanent or difficult to fix."

"Yes, well, as I said, I did it to save my daughter, not as an act of beastliness, so that's probably why," Selina said without looking up.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Since Selina was still busy with her cupcakes, Elijah went to get it and allowed her father entrance.

"Hi, Daddy!" Selina said and gave him a kiss. "What can we do for you?"

"I was wondering if Christine was here," her father replied. "She was so interesting to talk to at the party."

"She and Amanda went out, but I'm sure they'll be back soon," Selina replied. "I'm so glad you found someone to talk to since I was so busy and all."

"And I have another question for you," Matthew said. "How would you feel if I told you I wanted to start dating again?"

"You have anyone in particular in mind?" Selina asked. "I think it would be good for you."

"No one specific," Matthew replied as Christine came into the house and greeted him warmly. "Just putting ideas out there."

"Well, when you start picking out candidates, be wary of picking werewolves," Selina said in an off-hand way.

"Why?" Matthew asked, quickly turning his gaze away from Christine as she went to get a soda from the fridge. "Why should I be wary of picking a werewolf for a new girlfriend? Why would you even _say_ that?"

"Would you calm down?" Selina asked. "I was just trying to give you a little friendly advice."

"Yes, but _why_?" Matthew repeated. "Would I have to be worried about you getting territorial and attacking her if I chose a werewolf to love? It's not like that would be anything new for me."

"Oh, it's not _me_ you need to worry about," Selina said firmly as she deftly frosted the rest of the cupcakes and put them on a plate, mixing up the chocolate and vanilla ones so they weren't all grouped together. "I was talking about Mama."

"I don't want to sound insensitive, but your mother is dead, Selina," Matthew said patiently. "She's been dead for _years_. I'm sure she wouldn't mind my moving on."

"Of course not," Selina replied. "With another vampire, a witch, or even a human. But another werewolf could be overstepping boundaries. You know how territorial female werewolves are of their men."

"That's true," Christine agreed. "When my mom tried to put the moves on Elijah, Selina very nearly killed her."

"Yep," Selina nodded without shame. "She would have been very dead if Elijah hadn't held me back."

"Your mother is dead," Matthew repeated. "Unless you're suggesting she'll haunt me from the grave, I believe you're making a big fuss out of nothing."

"All right, if you say so," Selina replied. "Even though ghosts do really exist and I've seen them and Mama is _not_ gonna be happy about this. I only hope Charlotte comes from the spirit world with her. She's the only person besides you and me who had any real emotional pull on Mama."

"And who is Charlotte?" Elijah asked curiously.

"She's Damon and Stefan's mother," Selina supplied. "And Mama's best friend. So if Mama comes back from the dead on a crazy rampage and Charlotte comes with her, be prepared. You and Damon might have to work together to fix things."

"Well, like your father says," Elijah told her stiffly, "Ghosts are nonsense and I think you're making a fuss over nothing."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Whatever you say. Don't tell me I didn't warn you." She shook a spoon at them. "Cause I did!"

"Can I have one of these cupcakes?" Christine asked, reaching for the plate.

"Sure," Selina replied, her voice testy. "Go ahead. That's what they're there for."

* * *

"I was really surprised you agreed to go out to dinner with me," Viktor told Amanda a few nights later as they drove up to the restaurant where they were eating and parked.

"Why would that surprise you?" Amanda asked as she got out of the car and they headed inside. "We're dating after all!"

Viktor shrugged. "I just didn't see you as a fancy restaurant type of person."

"I'm not usually," Amanda admitted. "But if I'm going with you, I figure I can't have a bad time, can I?"

"Well, I should hope not," Viktor smiled. "And can I say that the roast is really good here?"

"Okay," Amanda nodded. "If it's big, I'll have to share with you. I can't eat a lot by myself."

"Sure," Viktor said. "I'd like that."

* * *

They had to wait a little while for a table, and then they followed the hostess to a nice little one in the corner. Viktor held out Amanda's chair for her and pushed her in after she sat down, then ordered a glass of chardonnay for himself while Amanda, deciding to forgo alcohol, ordered a cherry Coke. When they asked about the roast, their server told them very apologetically that they were out of that for the night and they'd have to order something else, but they took it in stride and ended up splitting a large Margherita pizza (made with cheese, big tomato slices, and basil) instead. Amanda ate most of it, with Viktor having two pieces. When Amanda finally decided she had to stop cause she wanted dessert, they pushed the leftover pizza, as well as tray it was sitting on, to the center of the table and waited.

The server came back and after she'd given them a box for the leftover pizza and refilled Amanda's soda, she asked if they wanted dessert.

"I'm fine, but I think you have a taker," Viktor told her as he smiled at Amanda's eager face.

"I'll have a piece of the chocolate cake, please," Amanda told her. "And thank you."

"You're welcome," the waitress replied. "I'll be back with that in a little bit."

Once she was gone, Amanda put her hand on Viktor's and said, "If you decide you want cake after all, you know I'd be more than happy to share."

"You would?" Viktor asked, pushing a strand of hair from her eyes. "Even though it's chocolate?"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "Even then. You're the only person I'd share with."

Viktor chuckled and, to Amanda's surprise, leaned forward to kiss her even though other people in the restaurant were probably watching.

They finally broke apart when the cake came, and then Amanda picked it up without paying any attention to the fork and took a bite, then offered some to Viktor as crumbs fell on her pastel purple dress. "It's good!" She assured him after she'd swallowed. "I think you'd like it."

"I have no doubt," Viktor replied. "Put it back on the plate and then I'll take a chunk off with my fork."

"Oh, come on!" Amanda smiled, showing a speck of cake wedged in her teeth. "What fun is that? I promise I won't drop it."

"Fine," Viktor sighed. He leaned forward and took a small and cautious bite off the edge of the cake Amanda held in her hand. She was right. It wasn't bad. "I'll let you enjoy the rest of it," he told her once he'd swallowed his bite. "I'm not much for sweets."

"Don't tell my mom that," Amanda warned him. "She'll go to all lengths to try and change your mind."

"I don't doubt that," Viktor said. He then was silent and gave Amanda a chance to finish her cake. Once the bill was paid, they went out to his car and looked at the clock in it.

"We still have some time before I need to be home," Amanda pointed out. "You wanna go to your house and have a little fun?"

"If you mean what I think you mean, I don't think it would be a good idea for me to bring you into my bed again until we're actually married," Viktor replied. "Don't you?"

"No, I don't," Amanda shook her head. "I mean, it would be one thing if we'd never had sex before, but we have, so what's the point in waiting? I've taken my pill today. I promise!"

"I know you'll think I'm a terrible coward," Viktor told her as he took her chin in his hand. "But I can't stop thinking about how your father would react if he knew I was having sex with you before we were married or even engaged. Wouldn't you rather wait until we didn't have to worry about that?"

"Fine," Amanda sighed. "I guess you're right. But we're still making out on your bed. No arguments." She then got out and made him switch seats with her so she was driving, drove to his house, took his hand, led him inside, and they proceeded to make out on his bed, and even, despite what he'd told her, ended up in just their underwear by the time Viktor finally rolled off her and they both panted with exhaustion.

"See?" Viktor told her. "I knew we'd still be able to get along without sex! We can do it!"

"Yep," Amanda nodded, reaching over to gently rub the bulge in his boxers. "You handled that like a real champ."

He rolled over to face her again and gave her a look. "Oh, come here," he told her, and pulled her to him to kiss her again.


	25. Does Your Mother Know?

"As long as we're complimenting each other on things," Selina told Elijah, "I really think you're handling Viktor and Amanda well now that you've had a chance to get used to the idea of them being together."

"Well, as you said," Elijah told her, "Viktor _is_ the sort of man that I'd choose for Amanda if it were up to me, and I should consider myself lucky that she took to him so well on her own."

"Very true," Selina replied. "Very true."

"Now, speaking of relationships that people have to get used to, what was that nonsense you told your father about your mother coming back from the grave if he started dating a werewolf?" Elijah frowned at her. "You shouldn't be making up ridiculous stuff like that. Just let your father be happy. For all you know, you could become very close to his girlfriend." He smiled. "She might even be family someday." He paused. "You know who you should talk to about this? Astrid. I haven't heard her complain once about Viktor and Amanda. You could learn things from her."

"You know, I just might do that," Selina nodded. "It could help. Good idea. But like I told Daddy, I wasn't warning him about Mama for my sake, I was warning him about her for his sake."

"And I still think that's preposterous," Elijah said.

"Okay, but I'm not changing my stance," Selina told him firmly. And instead of calling Astrid right away cause she knew she'd still be at work, Selina went to see her father instead.

* * *

When she pulled up to his house, she flinched as the crack of a gunshot rang in the air, followed by a second one. She waited a few seconds and then called out, "Daddy, are you in the yard? Can I come back there and talk to you?"

"Sure," Matthew called and then came around to the front door and smiled at his daughter. "Just let me lock the gun up and we can talk."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she told him as she got out of the car. "I've been wanting to practice my shooting for a while now. It should come as no surprise to you that Elijah doesn't let me do it very often, although I _do_ have a pistol that I keep under our bed."

"When did you learn to shoot?" Matthew asked curiously as they headed back to the backyard while Matthew's barking foxhound named Zeke that he used to help him hunt deer went with them. "I can't see your mother or your grandparents teaching you."

"No, it wasn't them," Selina replied as she dusted off her red dress with white polka dots. "It was the same man who taught me how to drink. I think that was one of the things that turned Mama against Damon in the first place, although it's really come in handy over the years."

"We'll see about that," Matthew replied with a smile. He lined up the cans he was using for practice shooting and watched in surprise as his daughter took her shots and hit the mark every time."

"I bet you thought you were gonna have to help me, didn't you?" She smiled as he came to take the gun from her.

"Well, you said you were out of practice, so I wondered," Matthew replied, wiping sweat from his forehead. "If that's you being out of practice, I don't want to see you when you're confident about what you're doing."

They went inside and Matthew got both of them blood. As they sat together and drank it, Matthew gave his daughter a smile with one side of his mouth up. "I guess I don't have to ask why you're here," he said. "More feelings of foreboding regarding your mother that you need to give me before I start dating again?"

"I'm sorry about that," Selina replied and put her blood down. "I really shouldn't have said anything. It's not any of my business."

"Now just hang on a minute," Matthew told her and took her in his arms, kissing her forehead. "If you have concerns, I'd like to hear them."

"Well, okay," Selina said after a long moment. "I know it seems really hypocritical, but I guess…I guess I'm scared that if you start dating, you won't have time for me anymore. I know that's terrible cause throughout my entire life, I haven't made much effort to see _you_, but…it seems like I always come second if you have a woman that you like. For example, a big part of why you didn't come home after you turned and Doctor Stensrund made you safe was that you didn't want to freak Mama out, right?"

"Well, can you blame me?" Matthew asked. "By the time I'd become a safe vampire, the army had already told your mother I was dead. If I'd just shown up on our doorstep after that, it would have shocked her."

"For a little bit, maybe," Selina nodded. "But she would have adjusted after a little bit, assumed the army was wrong, and just have been glad you were back. You made Mama feel brave enough to be strong, and I firmly believe it was _not_ having you around that made things as bad as they were, especially after Charlotte died."

Matthew sighed. "I know that the choices I made for your mother's sake had a bad effect on both her and you and that I should have just taken a chance and come home. I know that, and I'm sorry. And I'm also sorry that Dr. Stensrund and I took away all your memories of you and me just so your mother wouldn't know I was still alive. It was unfair to you. I'd even say it was cruel."

"Yeah, there were lots of times I could have used those nice memories," Selina told him. "And Mama was really a lot tougher than you gave her credit for."

"I know that now," Matthew nodded. "Both from seeing her again…and from being around you, darlin', I know you don't like to hear that you're like your mother, but you really are."

Selina smiled and gave him another hug. "I guess I'm at the point where I can finally accept that as a compliment. Just promise you won't forget about me this next time around, please?"

"Oh, I won't," Matthew assured her. "I've learned my lesson. I promise."

"Good," Selina smiled. "But if you do, I ain't gonna let you forget about it this time." She then giggled to herself. "Damn, it feels so _good_ to say ain't. Mama never let me, (at least not to her face) and Elijah doesn't like it either." She then began walking around the living room going "ain't, ain't, ain't" at the top of her lungs just because she could.

"Yeah, your mother was very much a lady, wasn't she?" Matthew replied fondly.

"Yep," Selina nodded and clicked her tongue. "Sometimes, it was a good thing and sometimes it wasn't." She then came and sat next to him again. "If you wanna start looking for dates, I'd be more than happy to take you to Enid's. Well, Roxie owns the place now, but it's still full of werewolves."

"Thanks, but you don't need to do that," Matthew told her as he thought of Christine. "I have someone in mind already."

* * *

"When do you think we should have a dinner with Astrid?" Amanda asked Viktor as they lay in bed one night. "I know she seems to be okay with you and I doing what we're doing, but I just…I feel a need to connect with her now that our relationship will be changing. Do you think that's a bad idea?"

"No, I don't," Viktor shook his head. "In fact, I was just thinking about asking you if you'd be willing to meet with Astrid sometime."

"Of course," Amanda nodded. "She's not some total stranger I need to be scared of. I've known her my whole life. And I'm sure that once I tell her that she doesn't need to call me 'Mom' or anything like that, things should be smooth sailing."

"I agree," Viktor nodded. "And even if they aren't entirely smooth, they'll at least be better than when I told her about Alexandra."

Amanda nodded and gave Viktor one last kiss before he pulled the covers over them and reached up over their heads to turn off the light just above the bed.

* * *

They got hold of Astrid and she seemed more than happy to go out to dinner with them. The night of the dinner, Viktor came to pick Amanda up and Elijah gave his daughter some advice as he sat on her bed while she dressed.

"Be understanding of anything Astrid expresses worry about," he said. "I know that you and Viktor are happy together, but for some of us, that takes getting used to. Is this the first time either one of you has talked to Astrid since you began dating?"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "It is. And I'll be really sensitive, I promise. Will you zip up my dress?"

"Good," Elijah nodded. He zipped up her blue dress that stopped at her knees just as Selina knocked on the door and poked her head in to announce that Viktor, Alistair, and Astrid had arrived. "And I made you these brownies that you could give to Astrid as a peace offering," she said and handed her daughter a paper plate full of brownies that was covered in plastic wrap.

"All right," Amanda nodded, going to the living room and striding right up to Astrid as the blonde witch rose to her feet, a smile on her face as she reached out to hug her. She stopped her for a moment, and said dryly, "My parents seem to feel that you're gonna be threatened or angry or scared if I don't tread lightly about the fact I'm dating your father. Here are some brownies to show you that I mean no harm. I hope you like them."

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do this," Astrid replied, putting the brownies down on the sofa and hugging her.

"Oh, I know," Amanda replied. "But my parents thought differently."

"You really don't have to be concerned," Astrid assured Selina and Elijah. "Anyone my father dates who isn't Alexandra, I'm okay with that."

"Good," Elijah nodded. "We just wanted to be sure. Now, what is it that you all are doing tonight?"

"We were originally just going to do dinner, but then Alistair found this well-reviewed production of _Arsenic and Old Lace_ that was playing in the park this evening so we're going to go see that instead," Astrid replied.

"I was told there were murders in it, which is the only reason why I'm agreeing to see it," Amanda added.

"I really think you'll like it," Viktor assured her as he took her arm. "Trust me, I've seen it."

"All right," Amanda replied as they made their way out the door after one last goodbye to her parents, with Alistair carrying the brownies. "Whatever you say, I trust you."

* * *

Although she felt very at ease about Astrid, Amanda was a little surprised when she began hearing about another older man, this time from Christine.

"How well do you know your grandfather?" Christine asked her when she caught up with her between classes. "You see him a lot?"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "He comes over from time to time. Why?"

Christine shrugged. "I just…I wanted to know if he's as nice as he seems."

"Are you thinking you want to set up him and your mom?" Amanda asked. "Cause you said that things between her and the gym teacher weren't working out and she wants a rich guy."

"Um…sure," Christine nodded, although she was really asking about Matthew for herself, not her mother. "Sure, I'm asking about him for my mom. Exactly."

Amanda wrote Matthew's address down on a piece of paper. "Here's where he lives. I'm sure that he'd be glad to have you and your mom over. He's very much a werewolf person."

"Thanks," Christine said and actually hugged her. "I really owe you one."

* * *

During Christine's next time at Selina and Elijah's she made the plans with Matthew who was more than happy to accommodate her. "I don't really mean to bring my mother," she confessed. "But I'm afraid that if I told everyone that I was making these plans so I could get to know you by myself, it would freak them out, so that's why I'm bringing my mother."

"You're not underage, are you?" Matthew asked. "Because as attractive as you are, I can't condone us doing anything if you're underage."

"I'm older than I look," Christine assured him. "Closer in age to your grandson Colin in terms of how many years I've been around. I'm of age, trust me. That's why Mom's always pushing me to find a nice man to date when she's not looking around for herself."

"Oh, thank god!" Matthew said, trying to control his breathing, "I was worried for a minute there."

"You don't have to be," Christine replied. "You might have to worry about my mother cause she has a very big personality, but you don't have to freak out about me."

* * *

"Now, who is this man we're going to visit again?" Renee asked as they drove to Matthew's a few days later. "Did Selina suggest I date him in an attempt to keep my mind off Elijah? She's very transparent, if that's the plan."

"Actually," Christine said, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes, "Selina would probably be really mad if she knew I was bringing you anywhere near this guy."

Renee scoffed. "How many men does one woman need? What's her claim of ownership over this one?"

"He's her father," Christine got out. "He was a human who got turned into a vampire during the Mexican American War."

"You know that Elijah's the one exception I made to my 'I only date werewolves' rule," Renee said firmly, her dark eyes flashing. "What are you thinking, setting me up with him?"

"I'm not," Christine said firmly. "I'm setting him up with myself, and you're just a cover."

"Ah," Renee nodded. "Okay. But I still would like to know what kind of man my daughter is interested in."

They parked the car in Matthew's driveway and got out to stare at the house, which had been the one Selina had been born in. Despite how old it was, it was a superb example of antebellum architecture, painted white with columns on either side of the front door, two wooden rocking chairs on the front porch, and a beagle sleeping on a mat by the door. As they got closer to the house, the dog got to his feet and began barking.

"Sorry," Matthew apologized when he opened the door and let the dog in. "I don't get many visitors, so new people always make Jack excited."

"Are you just a dog person?" Christine asked as she and Renee entered.

"I hunt with them," Matthew said. "Jack helps me with rabbits, and my foxhound Zeke helps me with deer."

"So you feed from animals then?" Christine asked, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"No, I hunt and prepare 'em with some friends of mine," Matthew told her. "Can I get either of you something to drink? I'm gonna get myself a beer."

"I'm good," Christine replied. "This is my mom, Renee, by the way."

"Hello, ma'am," Matthew replied and reached out to shake her hand. "I'm Matthew Warren. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Renee replied. "You have a lovely house."

"It's one I've lived in since I was human," Matthew replied. "It was the house my wife and I moved into when we married. Selina's room is upstairs too."

"I never would have guessed," Renee replied as she looked around at the decor, which screamed 'bachelor' very clearly.

"So, what do you think?" Christine asked when he'd gone. "Do you think I made a good choice?"

"Yeah," Renee nodded. "If only I were so lucky."


	26. A Potential Threat

"Look up here, Miss Mikaelson," Viktor's voice drilled into Amanda. "I don't like it when you're not paying attention to me."

The rest of the class sniggered, but Amanda, knowing that that was part of her and Viktor's secret code for when they were together at school, just sat up straight, smiled, and apologized.

"Thank you," Viktor told her, trying not to focus on her lips. He quickly turned back to the board and wrote some more stuff on it, continuing his lecture while Amanda continued to write notes, and then after class had ended and everyone had left, Amanda approached Viktor's desk. "I know you didn't tell me you wanted to see me after class, but…since I don't have anywhere to go now, I thought I could stay a little while longer." She boosted herself on his desk. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Nope, no problem," Viktor replied. "Just as long as you truly don't have somewhere else you should be."

Amanda sighed. "I don't, I swear." She reached out to play with his hair. "Nothing puts the mood at risk like you believing I'm gonna ruin my education."

"I know," Viktor replied and kissed her hand. "But I'm a teacher. Can you blame me for worrying about that?"

"Well, no," Amanda replied. "But think about my grades. I've always had a very healthy attitude toward schoolwork."

"No you haven't," Viktor replied dryly. "You're lucky enough to be very smart, so you get the good grades despite the fact that your dedication to learning is not as serious as it could be."

"Okay, fine," Amanda replied, her mouth twisting. "I guess you have a point." She kissed him again and then they both sprang apart when they heard a knock on the door. Amanda hid and then Rosalie came in.

"I just came in here for some help with my essay," she said. "But if Amanda is here, it can wait."

"Don't be silly," Viktor said with a nervous laugh. "Why would Amanda be in here? Can you see her anywhere?"

Rosalie shut the door and then said quietly, "I know you and she have a thing, Mr. Larson. Don't worry. I haven't told anyone and I never will."

Viktor sighed. "You can come out, Amanda," he said, and Amanda popped up from behind the desk. "It seems we've been found out."

"Actually she's known for a while," Amanda replied. "That werewolf sense of smell she had sensed your cologne on me."

"Well, that's just great," Viktor replied. "I guess I'm gonna have to stop wearing it so no one else is on to us."

"Oh, please don't!" Amanda begged. "I like it!"

"I think you should be all right," Rosalie assured Viktor. "Now, about my essay…"

"Of course," Viktor nodded and gestured for her to take a seat. "Amanda, I'm sorry we have to cut things off so soon, but I really think I should be helping Rosalie right now."

"That's fine," Amanda assured him. "I can go find something to do with myself. Maybe I'll go see what Dad's up to, or steal some leftovers from my mother."

"If they made cookies today, will you bring me some?" Viktor asked. "I especially like the cinnamon ones."

"The Snickerdoodles?" Amanda clarified when she reached the door. "Sure, Mr. Larson. I'll see what I can do."

* * *

Elijah was working on his lesson plans when he heard a knock on his classroom door. "Come in," he said, thinking it would be Selina. But he was very surprised to see that it was Renee instead, who'd had a change of heart about their relationship after meeting Matthew.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting anything," she said. "Am I? I can come back later."

"No, I'm just working on lesson plans," Elijah told her. "And those can wait. What can I do for you?"

"I just…I've been thinking about you and me," Renee got out as she took a seat at one of the desks. "I know I've tried to make it work between us, but obviously it's not, so…I'm stepping aside, something I'm sure your wife will be happy to hear."

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I'm sure she will. What inspired this change of heart?"

"Christine introduced me to a new man the other day," Renee replied. "And I think…I think I like him."

"Well, I wish you the best of luck," Elijah told her, then went to tell Selina the good news.

* * *

"How serious did she seem about it?" Selina asked suspiciously when Elijah told her. "She's not just screwing with me to throw me off guard, is she?"

"No, she seemed pretty sure," Elijah replied. "I thought you'd be happy."

"If it's true then I'm very relieved," Selina replied. "But can you blame me for not letting my guard down completely with that woman? She just wants to take away everything I hold dear!"

"I think that's not going to happen," Elijah said and put a hand on her arm. "Don't worry yourself anymore."

"Did she say who she was in love with?" Selina asked. "Jack told me things ended between the two of them."

"No, she didn't say," Elijah shook his head. "I just hope it's someone who can handle her."

"Yeah," Selina nodded and kissed him. "Me too. I'll feel real sorry for them if they can't. Cause werewolf women especially just really throw themselves into relationships."

"They do?" Elijah grinned. "I really hadn't noticed."

"Oh, I just bet you haven't," Selina smiled. "How long do we have before your next class?"

"The bell's about to ring," Elijah observed, standing up to look at the clock. "Can I have a little something for the road?"

"A food something or a romantic something?" Selina asked.

"Either one would be good for me," Elijah decided.

Selina then wrapped up a cookie for him and gave him a kiss and a gentle slap on the butt. "There you go," she said. "You got it all. See you later."

"Yes," Elijah smiled as he paused by the classroom door. "I can't wait."

* * *

"I'm thinking of moving in with Elijah and Selina for good," Christine told Eva a few days later. "Do you think that's weird?"

"No, why would I think it's weird?" Eva wanted to know. "It's not like they're completely strangers to you or anything."

"Okay, good," Christine nodded. "Thanks for the reassurance."

"Why would you even _need_ reassurance?" Eva wanted to know. "Frankly, based on how things are with you and your mom, I'm surprised it took you this long to move out of her apartment!"

"Oh, I know, _believe_ me," Christine agreed. "But the reason why I'm moving there, it's not just to do with my mother. There's another reason, and that's what's making me wonder if moving there is a good choice or a bad choice."

"What's the other reason?" Eva asked.

"It's a guy!" Christine said. "A really handsome guy. He comes over sometimes, and we get along really well."

"You wouldn't be the first to make a big life choice for a reason like that," Eva replied and patted her on the back. "Good luck!"

"Thanks," Christine smiled at her. "I knew I could tell you without you thinking it was weird because of Sean and everything. He's picking me up after school today. You wanna meet him."

"I better," Eva agreed. "I have to see if this guy is good enough to date my best friend."

"We haven't talked about dating at all," Christine corrected. "He doesn't even know I like him that way. So don't go blurting things out and scare him off. You'll hear it from me if you do."

"Oh, all right," Eva sighed. "I'll just say a quick 'Hello' and be on my way."

"Thank you," Christine told her. "That's probably for the best anyway."

* * *

"I hope you're not too disappointed with me coming to pick you up," Matthew told Christine as he drove up and parked, taking off his sunglasses as he got out of his red truck. "Selina and Amanda would have taken you home but they were doing something with a friend of hers. I think Selina told me that his dad was going through something and they had to support him."

"Oh, yeah," Christine nodded before she climbed in the passenger's seat. "Will. I know all about him. And thanks for doing this. My car's in the shop right now and it's just the biggest pain." She then gestured at Eva, who was studying Matthew very closely. "This is my friend Eva, Matthew. She wanted to meet you."

"Are you a werewolf too?" Matthew asked as he shook Eva's hand.

"Technically," Eva nodded, softening toward the very gentle, and handsome man (though he definitely wasn't as handsome as Sean.) "But since I'm also a witch and a vampire, I can't actually _become_ a werewolf."

"Oh," Matthew nodded. "How interesting!"

Eva wanted to stay, but Christine gave her a look and said, "Don't you have to be going now, Eva?"

"That's right, I do," Eva replied, even though she didn't want to go. "I'll be leaving now. I hope we can see each other again."

"I hope so too," Matthew replied.

When Eva was gone, Christine repeated, "Thank you for picking me up. My car's in the shop and it's old so something or other is always going wrong."

"Believe me, I know," Matthew replied. "Makes me long for the days when I could just ride a horse everywhere. Sometimes they'd get sick or tired, but it was much easier to get them better than it is to fix a broken car."

"So you know how to ride?" Christine asked.

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "Do you?"

"I've always wanted to," Christine replied. "But I've never had the money."

"Well, we'll just have to fix that," Matthew replied with a smile and then remembered that he had to start the truck. He started the car and they talked animatedly about horses, hunting, and some nice hiking trails Matthew knew of. When they reached Elijah and Selina's, he was extremely reluctant to see her go.

"This might sound forward, and I'm sorry if it does," he said as he lifted Christine out of the truck, his eyes averted from the tiny bit of her stomach that was exposed by her shirt. "But I've not met someone I feel as comfortable with as I do you."

"It's not forward at all," Christine smiled. "I feel the same way. And did you really mean it when you said you wanted to take me riding?"

"Yes, I meant it," Matthew nodded. "Would tomorrow morning around ten work for you?"

"Sure," Christine nodded. "That would be great."

* * *

But it wasn't Christine he saw first the next morning. He was drinking his coffee when all of a sudden, Jack and Zeke began barking madly. Matthew put his coffee down and went to the door, wondering if, since it was just a little after eight, Christine had decided to come early. When he opened the door, though, it was Renee who stood on his doorstep.

"Hi," she said. "I'm sorry to come so early and without calling first, but I just picked some flowers from my garden and I thought they'd do wonders to brighten this place up."

"Well, isn't that nice?" Matthew smiled and let her in. "I know my house seems a bit…masculine to you, but my wife, when she was alive, always made sure we had flowers around."

"I lost my husband recently too," Renee replied and put the flowers down on the table. "It's hard to forget, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Matthew replied and went to get some photos of him and Amelia to show her. "This is my wife," he said and showed her the pictures. "She was a very beautiful woman. And my first werewolf, if you can believe it."

"She looks really familiar," Renee replied as she stared at the severe but beautiful blonde in the long white lace dress. "I feel like I've seen her before."

"Well, have you met my daughter?" Matthew asked. "Her husband is Christine's father."

At that, Renee's head shot up in surprise. "Selina? Selina's your daughter?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "The only child I ever had a chance to have. I couldn't love the girl more if I tried."

"Well, how sweet!" Renee smiled. "You know, my husband felt exactly the same way about Christine even though she wasn't his. I was very lucky that way."

Matthew then took a sip of his coffee and said apologetically, "Can I offer you a coffee or something? I got so distracted talking about all this that my manners completely left me."

"It's not a problem," Renee smiled and reached out to put a hand on his. "I would love some coffee with a little bit of sugar."

"Coming right up," Matthew smiled.

They were still chatting when Christine arrived to go horseback riding with Matthew.

"Mom!" She said in surprise, her eyes wide as she came upon them. She was wearing blue jeans, red boots, and a sleeveless plaid button down shirt. "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I'd bring Matthew some flowers from my garden to brighten up this place," Renee remarked. "What brings you back here?"

"We're going horseback riding," Christine told her mother.

"That's right, we are," Matthew nodded and looked at Renee apologetically. "You wouldn't mind my stepping away, would you? I've had a lovely time talking to you. I don't have very many people around who know what it feels like to lose a spouse."

"Well, if you ever wanna talk more about that, I'm here," Renee promised.

Then Christine ushered Matthew out of the house while shooting her mother a dirty look before they got in Matthew's truck again and drove to the stable where he kept his horses.

* * *

"Why do you think you have such an appeal to werewolves?" Christine asked Matthew as they rode around. They were on his favorite horse, A Friesian named Smoky for his dark color. He had a companionable temperament and was very willing to ride, which made Matthew think he'd be a good horse for Christine's first time out. She sat in front while he controlled the horse from behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist as she leaned against his torso. Her hair smelled very clean with none of the overwhelming scents that most women used in their shampoo. It was the same with her skin: soft and clean, but not overly so. And every bump in the road made him very aware of how her bottom fit neatly between his spread legs.

"Hey!" Christine said, turning her body slightly. "Did you hear me?"

"Sorry," Matthew apologized and snapped back to attention. "What did you say?"

"I wondered if you had any thoughts about why you like werewolves so much," Christine repeated.

"Oh, I don't know," Matthew said thoughtfully. "I didn't even realize it until now that practically every woman I've ever been involved with has had some werewolf connection. How interesting." He smiled.

"Maybe you're like the werewolf whisperer or something," Christine hypothesized as Matthew noticed the highlights the sun brought out in her dark hair. "You _do_ have a very different temperament from most werewolf guys. I can see how werewolf women would think that's a nice change."

"I suppose," Matthew nodded. "Lord knows Selina's mother needed someone to help calm her down during the dark moments."

They stopped around noon and went out to lunch. "So…did you have a good time?" Matthew asked. "I did."

"Me too," Christine nodded. "I really liked Smoky."

"He's my favorite too," Matthew replied. "I think he's the one you'll ride, at least until you've had more experience. We don't want to get you on one that's unpredictable. That's what happened to my wife's best friend. She got on a horse that she wasn't used to, it threw her, and she died."

"What a shame," Christine replied before taking a bite of her burger. "It's probably best to keep me on a tame one, then."

"Yeah, it is," Matthew nodded. "Now, I bet that once we're done here you probably want to be getting home, don't you?"

"Not necessarily," Christine shrugged. "But if you have other things you need to do, you can take me home. Plus, Elijah and Selina were asleep when I left so they might be wondering where I am, even though I left a note."

"Well, we better get you home then," Matthew told her. They finished lunch and then Matthew drove Christine back to Selina and Elijah's, where Selina was waiting for them on the porch.

"You saw my note, right?" Christine asked her.

"Yeah, I did," Selina nodded. "Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "Matthew let me ride Smoky."

"I've heard good things about Smoky," Selina replied.

"I might just let her have him for good," Matthew told his daughter. "They seem to be getting along really well."

"Isn't that nice?" Selina asked, her lips pursed as jealousy pooled in her stomach. How was it fair that Christine got a horse when he'd never been that generous with his own daughter? If anyone deserved a horse from his stables, it was her!

"I see Christine and your father got back," Elijah smiled as Selina stomped inside and sat down heavily in a chair, glaring out the window as her father and Christine said goodbye. "He gave her one of his horses," she told Elijah. "He never did that for me and I'm his daughter!"

"If you want a horse, you can buy one for yourself," Elijah pointed out. "You have money. But do you even ride anymore?"

"I could pick it back up again," Selina replied. "It's like riding a bike. Damn it, how long do they have to hug?"

"You don't have to be jealous," Elijah told her. "Just let your father have this. It's probably the first relationship he's had with a woman who doesn't have a lot of emotional baggage."

Selina turned. "I am perfectly fine!" She snapped. "My relationship with my father is fine, and I don't cause him any sort of emotional stress!"

"You lord it over him all the time that he left you and that led your life to be miserable," Elijah reminded her. "How much longer does he have to apologize for that?"

"Until every bit of damage that happened cause he abandoned me goes away," Selina shot back. "And it's not _my_ fault that's not gonna happen. And why can't _you _buy me the horse? I know you like to buy me stuff." She crossed her arms, her expression still sour.

"Your father is right," Elijah told her dryly before picking up his coffee and heading to his office just as Christine finally came inside, a big smile on her face. "Sometimes you really _are_ like your mother."


	27. When The Cat's Away

"I have something I need to tell you," Elijah told Selina, his cell phone in hand. "You may not like it, and I don't really like it either, but there's really no way around it."

"What's happened?" Selina asked, sitting up on the gray library sofa where she'd been lying, holding a book up over her head. "Is something wrong?"

"No, but I have to go away for a little bit to check up on things for business. Ethan called and told me that there was absolutely no way around it," Elijah said. "Will you be okay here by yourself?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "I could even go stay at my dad's if I get bored. Don't worry about me. You go do what you need to do."

"Be nice to your father, all right?" Elijah warned. "If Christine comes to visit while you're there, just smile and be pleasant."

"Has my mother possessed you or something?" Selina wanted to know. "Cause you're talking just like her and it freaks me out."

"You know what I'm saying," Elijah told her. "Do you think you can handle it?"

"Yes, all right," Selina nodded. "I'll try my best to be nice."

"Thank you," Elijah kissed her hair.

"And what do you want me to tell Amanda if she says she wants to go stay with Viktor?" Selina asked him.

"Oh, just let her go," Elijah sighed. "It's not like being told 'No' will stop her from going to see him anyway. And being in the constant presence of a mature, sophisticated man could do Amanda some good."

Selina giggled. "And being in the presence of an uninhibited free spirit could do _Viktor_ some good too."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that," Elijah said. "You know not to say things like that to me! It's all I'm going to think about now. Thanks a lot."

"You're welcome," Selina said. And then she told him in a more serious tone, "Do you need me to send blood with you, or do you have that under control?"

"I have it under control," Elijah assured her. "Thank you though. I'll see you when I see you and I'll call you tonight when I get to the hotel."

"All right," Selina nodded. "Good luck! I'd say 'Have a good time', but since you're going there for business and I'm not coming, how could you?"

"You make a good point," Elijah agreed and gave her a kiss. "I'll see you when I see you, and I expect a very enthusiastic welcome home upon my return."

"You can count on it," Selina assured him. "You don't have to ask for that from me. It'll just come automatically."

"You swear?" Elijah asked.

"Every damn day," Selina smiled. "And by that, I mean, yes. I do swear. Goodbye!" She watched him go and then packed her bag to go visit her father, leaving a note for Amanda explaining the situation and saying that she had permission to spend the time Elijah was gone at Viktor's if she wanted to.

* * *

"Well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Matthew said when he opened the door in response to Selina's knock. "Usually no one comes to visit me and now I get you and Christine in the same day. She told me that Elijah was out and things at home weren't good, so I said she could stay here." When he noticed Selina's face fall, he said quickly, "Don't worry, I didn't let her sleep in your room. It's upstairs empty and waiting for you."

"Thank you, Daddy," Selina replied, putting down her bags to give him a hug. "That's very considerate of you. But do you really think it's smart to let Christine stay here so soon? You barely know her!"

"I know that," Matthew nodded. "But it's not like we're sharing a bed or anything. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Honestly, I was hoping for some bonding time with just the two of us, but if having Christine here too would make you happy, then all right." She nodded. "I can deal with that."

"Thank you," Matthew replied. "I really appreciate it."

"Oh, and I want to show you something," she said, pulling out several ribbons from the state and county fairs where she'd entered baked goods. "Here are all the prizes I've won for my baking."

"Well, I'm very proud of you," Matthew smiled. "We'll just have to put these up where everyone can see them."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Selina told him, making an attempt at modesty, even though that was exactly why she'd brought them to her father's house in the first place.

"Of course I do," Matthew replied and put them up on the refrigerator before giving his daughter a smile. "I wouldn't want you to have brought them over to show me for nothing."

"You picked up on that, huh?" Selina asked. "I'm that transparent?"

"I think you want acknowledgement for being good at something," Matthew replied and gave her a hug. "There's nothing wrong with that. From what you've told me about your mother, I doubt you got much of that from her."

"No, not really," Selina shook her head. "I wasn't trying to be difficult about it, though. Stitching samplers just wasn't my thing."

"I'm just sorry you had to be with your mother when things were so difficult," Matthew said. "I know you won't believe this, but…she was one of the sweetest, kindest, most loving people I ever knew."

"I'd refute that, but at the same time, I can believe it," Selina agreed. "I mean, you say I'm like her, and when I feel loved and supported and secure, I'm pretty nice. And when I don't, I become irritable, suspicious, jealous, short-tempered…all sorts of bad things. Just like Mama did. I guess I really _am_ like her."

"You're like her when you need to be, and you're like me when you need to be," Matthew told her. "That's what I get from watching you and Elijah as long as I have. You make up for what the other lacks, and that's why things are so good for you. You made a good choice, darlin'."

"I did," Selina nodded. "And I guess that if you hadn't gotten turned into a vampire, and then I wouldn't have gotten turned into a vampire, I never would have met him."

"Sometimes things work out in strange ways," Matthew sighed. He gave Selina another hug just as the door to the house opened and Christine called out, "Mr. Warren, I'm back! What are we having for dinner?" She then came upon Matthew and Selina hugging and slowly backed away to the living room without asking for him again.

* * *

Although Christine was hesitant to interrupt Matthew and Selina's father-daughter bonding time any more than she already had, Matthew convinced her to stay. "I was thinking of grilling up some hamburgers tonight," he said to her. "Wanna help me?"

"Oh, sure," Christine nodded. "My dad and I used to grill all the time. Do you need me to go to the grocery store?"

"Nope, I got all that stuff," Matthew replied, pulling the uncooked hamburger out of the refrigerator along with the seasonings and toppings. "Let's get started."

"All right," Christine smiled. "I like a man who doesn't waste time."

They began shaping the meat into patties and he couldn't help but look over at Christine and smile. She was really getting into this, something his wife, and even his daughter, despite how modern she was, wouldn't do.

"What are we having for dinner?" Selina asked as she came into the kitchen after running up to put her suitcase in her room.

"We're making burgers," Christine replied and held up her raw meat covered hands. "Wanna help?"

"No, thank you," Selina shook her head and wrinkled her nose. "But I'll make dessert after you guys are done. Chocolate chip cookies sound right, don't you think?"

"Yeah, that sounds great," Christine replied. "Thanks."

"She even got a blue ribbon for chocolate chip cookies at the county fair," Matthew gestured at her ribbons on the refrigerator. "And if they won an award, you know they're good!"

"Wow are all these _yours_, Selina?" Christine asked as she washed her hands and went to look at them.

"I don't want to brag, but…yes, they're all mine," Selina nodded, grinned, and bounced on her heels a bit.

"Well, that's _very_ impressive," Christine said, looking at them a little longer and then going back to the meat. "How big of a burger do you want?"

"Thank you, and I don't really need a big one," Selina replied. "Just give me something small."

"Like this?" Christine showed her a patty the size of her hand.

"Yeah, that's fine," Selina replied.

Since the grill was outside, while the hamburgers were cooking, Selina made the cookies, and it wasn't too long after they were all done eating the burgers that the cookies were finished.

"So are those blue ribbon worthy?" Selina asked as she watched Christine and her father eat them.

"Oh, yeah," Christine nodded eagerly. "I'm glad you made a lot cause I just can't stop eating them they're so good."

"Well, I'm glad you like them," Selina smiled. After they were done eating, Matthew asked his daughter, "Have you fed today?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I did a little bit of hunting after Elijah left."

"Good," Matthew replied. "I just hope you took the proper precautions."

"I did," Selina assured him. "Don't worry. Did _you_ remember to feed today?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "But thank you for checking."

"You're welcome," Selina then sat down and turned on the TV.

"When you say 'feeding', you mean on blood, right?" Christine asked.

"Does that make you queasy?" Matthew asked. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't have talked about that so soon after we ate."

"I was raised by werewolves," Christine told him. "Trust me, just talking about blood is _nothing_." She smiled and squeezed his hand. "But it's very sweet of you to be concerned about me."

"It's really not a problem," Matthew told her. Then he clapped his hands once and looked between Christine and his daughter. "What should we do now?" He asked. "You wanna play a game or watch a movie or something?"

"Sure," Christine replied while Selina nodded. "Why not?"

So they, at Matthew's behest, watched _Treasure Of The Sierra Madre._ Selina was a bit hesitant to watch it at first cause she _really_ didn't like Westerns (with the movie _Little Big Man _being the one exception), but Matthew quickly assured her that it was more of a treasure hunt film than a western and she felt a little better about it. It didn't really enchant her, however, and before the end of the movie, she fell asleep. When it was done, Matthew bade Christine goodnight and asked her if she needed any help getting to bed. Christine insisted she was fine and wished him goodnight, and then he picked up Selina and carried her up to her room, tucking her in and kissing her on the cheek, which made her open her eyes. "Did I fall asleep during the movie?" She asked. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"It's all right," Matthew assured her as he tucked her in. It doesn't bother me at all. Goodnight, darlin'."

"Good night, Daddy," Selina replied and fell asleep again just as Matthew was turning out the lights. He then went to bed himself, not turning the lights off until one of the dogs came to bed with him cause they didn't like to sleep alone and neither did he. He'd even thought for a second or two about asking Christine to come and join him, but he quickly dismissed the thought, telling himself that it was too soon and settling for the smaller warm body of Jack the beagle instead. He was about to fall asleep when he heard a knock at his door. "Come in," he said, feeling a little foggy. He assumed it was his daughter, but he woke up very quickly when he realized it was Christine, wearing nothing but a long t-shirt advertising some gun club and looking very leggy. "Did I disturb you?" She asked. "If I did, I'm sorry. But I wondered if I could borrow an extra pillow. There's only one on my bed and I usually sleep with two."

"Sure," Matthew replied and handed her a pillow. "There you go. Goodnight."

"Thanks," Christine replied and gave him a smile. "Sorry again if I woke you."

"It's no trouble," Matthew replied. "No trouble at all." She left then and he dozed off, visions of what might be under that t-shirt filling his dreams.

* * *

"Now, if you're nervous about me staying here, I can go home at night," Amanda told Viktor as he brought her bags into his room the following day. "Cause I remember you saying that you didn't want us to sleep together until we were married."

"Well, that only applies when your father is here," Viktor told her. "And I sometimes forget that I can't get you pregnant, so I suppose that for this week, we can let our guards down a little bit."

Amanda smiled. "When the cat's away, the mice will play, hmmm?"

"Yes," Viktor nodded, taking her in his arms and kissing her. "Exactly." The kiss deepened and soon Amanda was pulling off Viktor's shirt and undoing his pants while his hands wandered around under her dress.

"Don't stop there," Amanda breathed. "Please."

"Don't worry," Viktor assured her and lifted her up onto the bed before peeling off her panties. "I won't."

"Good," Amanda replied and kissed him. "You come here."

"Oh, you don't have to tell me twice," Viktor assured her and gave her a kiss as he slipped inside her.

"You don't waste time, do you?" Amanda giggled.

"I'm sorry," Viktor replied. "I just…I want you so much that I forget I need to woo you."

"Oh, I believe you're _way_ past wooing," Amanda replied. "But a little touching would have been nice."

"All right," Viktor replied. He pulled out of her and then backed up, staring at her for a long moment, unsure about what to do.

"You want me to take control of this?" Amanda asked.

"Just a minute," Viktor replied. "Let me think. I have to get back on track here."

"All right," Amanda replied. "I'm nothing if not patient."

He then leaned forward and massaged the insides of her parted thighs and then, to Amanda's surprise, he nibbled on her. It was more of a bite than a human giving a hickey, but not so much that it was as if he was feeding from her. She was a little surprised at first, but she quickly focused on the feeling of his warm lips on the skin of her neck and the surprise went away. She put her arms around his neck and whispered encouragement in his ear as he deftly slipped inside her again.


	28. Setting Some Rules

As she and Viktor sat across from each other at the breakfast table a few days later and Amanda watched him eat his toast, she suddenly realized that there was something she needed to say to him that she hadn't in a while, even though she figured he knew it anyway.

"Can I say something?" She asked him.

"Of course," Viktor nodded and put down his toast. "And you can just say it. We're not in class, where you have to raise your hand before you say anything."

"Right," Amanda smiled. "What I want to say is that I love you. I know that I haven't said it much and I didn't want you to think that I was only with you for the sex."

"Oh, of course I never thought that," Viktor told her, and then started eating his toast again.

"I figured, but Alexandra never said those words to you, I bet," Amanda continued. "And did Astrid's mom either? Until I came along, cold and silent seems to have been your type."

"Yes, and I don't know why," Viktor replied, leaving his chair and coming to put his arms around Amanda. "And I love you too."

"I thought so," Amanda smiled and squeezed him hard. When she finally let him go, he was gasping for breath and she felt the need to apologize to him. "Sorry about that," she said. "You know how enthusiastic I can get sometimes."

"Oh, no, you don't have to feel bad," Viktor assured her as he massaged his aching ribs. "It doesn't hurt much. I don't mind at all."

"Good," Amanda nodded. Then she lay her head down on the table. "You have no idea how relieved I am that school is almost over," she said.

"I do," Viktor assured her. "Trust me, I do." He paused. "Are you thinking of going to prom? I know it's not normally your thing, but…"

"Are you asking?" Amanda asked, bringing her head up. "I know we're together now and everything, but that might not be a good idea. And with that in mind, no. No, I'm not going to prom because if I can't go with you, I don't want to go with anyone. But there's nothing we can do about it, is there?"

"I don't know," Viktor shrugged. "I've got a daughter who's a witch. Maybe we can work something out."

"All right, now that we have that settled," Amanda said and stood up, "Can you dance, Viktor? There's no use in us going to prom together, spell or no spell, if you can't dance."

Viktor smiled, one corner of his mouth up. "You mean, you're not content to just be a wallflower?"

"No," Amanda shook her head. "If I'm gonna put a bunch of effort into getting a dress and doing my hair and all that stuff, I'm gonna make sure everyone sees me."

"All right," Viktor nodded. "Thank you for making that clear. As for my dancing…" He gulped down his coffee and then left Amanda to go down into the basement. He came upstairs a few minutes later, holding an extremely dusty record player in his hands. He put it on the dining room table, plugged it in, and then went to grab some of his classical music recordings. He put a record of waltzes on and then, after bowing to Amanda, took her hands and they danced together in the living room.

"Not so bad, am I?" He smiled at her.

"No," Amanda shook her head. "But I feel weird doing a waltz in my PJs when I should be wearing a fancy dress instead."

"This is just practice," Viktor assured her. "When we're at prom, you'll be wearing a dress, right?"

"Yeah," Amanda nodded. "I will."

When the song ended, Amanda then turned on the radio to a faster song to see how Viktor danced if he didn't have specific steps to rely on. It really was amusing to watch and she tried not to laugh, but some giggles came out anyway.

"What's so funny?" Viktor asked, pausing. "Am I doing bad?"

"No, I wouldn't say that," Amanda hugged him. "You're better at slow dances though, and I really don't mind that."

"All right," Viktor replied. "As long as you're happy with me only doing the slow dances and it won't ruin the night for you, then I'm not bothered either."

"Oh, I'm fine with that," Amanda assured him as she went back to her cereal. "I promise."

* * *

Selina was very jumpy on the day Elijah was scheduled to come home from his business trip. Although spending time with her father had done a pretty good job of keeping her mind off the lack of physical contact that came with Elijah's absence, coming home brought the realization back in full force so that when she heard the door open and Elijah's voice call out, "Selina, I'm home!" She immediately sped from the living room to the entryway, let out a happy cry, and knocked him to the floor. "Hi," she said, smiling and giving him a kiss after scrambling on top of him. "I'm so glad you're back. I missed you." She then began kissing him as Elijah squirmed uncomfortably beneath her. "Darling," he got out at last. "I know you and I have a lot of time to make up for, but…can we not do this now?"

"Why not?" Selina asked, still looking down into his eyes. She then heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and looked up into the amused dark eyes of her son, Ethan. "Don't mind me," he smiled. "I can wait."

"Oh, no," Selina flushed a little and got up off her husband. "It's fine." She came over to hug her son, who resembled Elijah more than her in many respects. "How are you? And how's Jeffrey? Is he still having trouble adjusting to being a vampire?"

"No, he's much better than he used to be," Ethan replied, wiping invisible dust off his pinstripe suit pants. "I told him we'd get married once he'd calmed down." He took a box out of his pocket, opened it, and showed the wide gold band with a carved, snakelike pattern around it to his mother. "What do you think?"

"I think he'll love the ring," Selina smiled as she looked it over. "Your father and I are very happy for the two of you. Just tell us when the wedding will be and we'll be there."

"Really?" Ethan asked, feeling very pleased. "Both of you?"

"Of course," Elijah replied. "We wouldn't miss it."

"And we were thinking of having the whole thing be small," Ethan continued. "Maybe get married at the court house and have a party here after? Would that be doable?"

"Of course!" Selina nodded. "Whatever you want, just let me know and I'll take care of it."

"Thanks," Ethan hugged both his parents. "Now, I'll just go to my room and let you get back to reuniting with each other."

Once he was gone, Elijah put his arms around Selina, kissing her as he said, "I hope you didn't miss me too much while I was gone."

"Of course I missed you," Selina nodded. "But I spent the time with Daddy, so that was a good distraction. Christine came over too, for a bit, but I promise I played nice with her."

"That's good," Elijah praised. "Are you still mad that she got a horse from your father and you didn't?"

"No, I'm over that," Selina assured him. Then she went to the refrigerator, took a bag of blood out and held it out to him. "If you haven't fed today, you should do that."

"Put the blood bag back," Elijah instructed.

"Why?" Selina asked as he took her into his arms.

"I think I'd like something a little different, if you don't mind," Elijah told her and kissed her neck. "Do you understand?"

"Oh, yes," Selina nodded. "I really think I do."

He then took her by the hand and led her to the bedroom where, after shutting the door behind them, Elijah removed Selina's dress and bit her neck as she clung to him, her fingers playing in his hair as he swallowed and then licked up the extra blood dripping from the wound. Then, when that had healed, he undressed, lay her down on the mattress, buried himself deep inside her, and neither of them left the room until it was time for dinner.

* * *

Selina was frying bacon and flipping pancakes when her father knocked on the door again the next day. "Good morning," she said and gave him a kiss. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I came to see you, of course," Matthew replied. "And since Christine's still having trouble with her car, I just thought I'd take her to school."

"Oh, all right," Selina nodded. "I have some stuff I have to get ready for class still, so do you mind if I come too? I don't want to be in the way."

"No, that's fine," Matthew replied. "But I've got my truck with me so you'll have to squeeze in."

"All right," Selina nodded. "No problem."

They waited for Christine and then, after eating breakfast and one whisper from Elijah to play nice, the three of them were off, although, much to Selina's chagrin, it was Christine who got to sit in the passenger's seat next to Matthew while she was stuck behind them, listening to them laugh and talk and feeling very annoyed.

When they reached school, Selina said very clearly, as Christine got out of the car, "I get to be in the front seat on the way home."

"All right," Christine nodded amiably. "That seems fair." She strode off and Matthew gave Selina a hug. "Sorry if you were feeling a little left out," he apologized. "Sometimes, Christine and I start talking and it's like we're the only two people in the world."

"Well, that's sure what it seemed like you were thinking to me," Selina told him. "She was with us all weekend. It's not like you two had any time to miss each other. If you wanna date her, just be honest with me."

"That's not something that's been discussed yet," Matthew told her. Then he frowned, his voice taking on a scolding tone as he looked Selina in the eye. "But I have to say that it's very nice to be around someone who doesn't need me to mind them every five seconds while at the same time, turning around and blaming me every time something goes wrong. I love you, Selina, but…sometimes that gets very wearing on a person. I was more than happy to do it for your mother because she didn't have anyone else, and I do it for you because so many of the issues you have were caused by my actions, but don't you make me feel bad for wanting to be with one person who just makes me feel good and doesn't ask anything from me in return. Do you understand me, young lady?"

"Yes," Selina nodded, feeling like he'd just punched her in the gut. She knew he was right, but it still hurt. "Yeah, I understand. See you later, Daddy. Have a good day." She then strode off, trying to fight off the tears of shame that were falling down her face so that no one would see them before she got inside.

* * *

"Thanks for letting me visit you for a bit," Christine told Matthew as he drove up the driveway of his house after they dropped a silent Selina off at home. "I like it when we just talk."

"Yeah," Matthew nodded and lifted her out of the truck, so they start the trudge toward the house. "I enjoy it too and I'm very glad that Zeke and Jack don't scare you off. They can be very enthusiastic sometimes."

"How could they scare me?" Christine asked as they headed inside. "They're cute little dogs." She was so busy talking that she almost tripped over Jack who was asleep right near the door, but Matthew managed to grab her in time before she fell or Jack was awakened.

"Thank you," Christine told him. He meant to let go of her, but didn't. She didn't seem to mind, though, although she did stand up straight.

"No problem," Matthew replied. "Are you all right?" He then sighed as Jack's eyes popped open, he got to his feet, and strode off. "I got both dogs baskets to sleep in. But since Jack sleeps with me more, he thinks he just has a run of the place."

"You actually sleep with a _dog_?" Christine asked incredulously.

"Yes, kind of sad, I know," Matthew nodded. "But I don't have a woman at the moment."

"That really surprises me," Christine told him. "You're so wonderful that I can't believe someone hasn't snatched you up yet."

"Well, I haven't been ready before," Matthew replied and looked into her eyes. "At least not until now, that is."

"I hope that changes for you soon," Christine told him.

"I hope so too," Matthew replied. He was about to ask her if she wanted a drink, but she took a soda for herself before he could say anything.

"Should I have waiting for you to ask me first?" Christine asked as she saw his mouth open, preparing to ask the question.

"No, that's fine," Matthew shook his head. "You've been here enough times that you know how things work."

"Yes, I think I do," Christine replied and sat down. "When would be a good time for me to see Smoky again?"

"You want to?" Matthew smiled. "He didn't scare you off?"

"Nah," Christine shook her head. "He's a good horse, although I think I'd like riding with you one more time, just to make me feel more comfortable."

"Sure," Matthew nodded, watching her as she got up to get a straw. They were on one of the lower shelves of the pantry, so she had to lean down to get them. Matthew stared a long time, trying to decide whether it was her long bare legs that affected him more, or her snug shorts. But by the time she turned around and came back to the table, asking him if she could get him anything, he'd managed to calm himself down, give her a smile, and tell her that he didn't need anything at all.


	29. Getting Territorial

"Do you mind if I move in with Viktor?" Amanda asked bluntly over breakfast one day toward the end of April. The suddenness of it made Elijah choke on his coffee until Selina whacked him on the back several times.

"Excuse me?" He said. "Would you repeat that?"

"Can I move in with Viktor?" Amanda asked. "I stayed with him while you were out, Daddy, so it wouldn't be like it was a completely new thing."

"Did you and Viktor talk about this?" Selina asked. "Or is this just something you came up with that you're going to spring on him out of nowhere?"

"We talked about it," Amanda nodded. "But he told me to ask you and Daddy first."

"Isn't that lovely?" Elijah said.

"Let me guess," Amanda told him dryly. "The answer is 'No', right?"

"Now, I didn't say that," Elijah told her. "But I'll need some time to process your leaving. Can it wait until after you've graduated? It's not too much longer."

"Viktor said you would say that," Amanda told him. "And I guess I can wait. For you, Daddy."

"Thank you," Elijah told her with a smile. "And you know your brother Ethan is getting married in a couple of weeks, right? It's nothing big. Just a ceremony at the courthouse and then he and Jeffrey want to have a big party after. Would you like to come with your mother and me?"

"Sure," Amanda nodded. "Since I'm the only one of us kids that's around to actually come, why not? Do you think Ethan would mind if I brought Viktor?"

"I don't think so," Selina shook her head. "Just as long as you ask Viktor if he wants to come first and he says 'Yes'."

* * *

When Christine's car was finally fixed, the first thing she did, of course, was go over to Matthew's. She came inside, and was shocked to see her mother in the kitchen wearing nothing but a towel.

"Mom, what the hell is wrong with you?" She cried. "You can't just walk around his house in a towel! This is a guy who lived in a time where men got aroused from seeing women's ankles! What are you trying to accomplish here?"

"The same thing you are when you wear those tiny shorts around him," Renee smirked. "Who do you think you're fooling?"

"I just…shut up!" Christine cried, just as Matthew came into the kitchen holding a bathrobe. "I'm so sorry that shower of yours isn't working," he told her. "Your clothes are in the wash, and I'll put them in the dryer in a few minutes."

"Don't you do that for her!" Christine yelled at him, pulling at a sleeve of the robe while Matthew held tight to the other end as Renee's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Don't you see why she came over here? It's a pathetic and desperate ploy to get your attention!"

Matthew looked back and forth between mother and daughter, helped Renee put the robe on, and said, "This is clearly something you two need to work out for yourselves. If I can do anything else for you, I'll be watching television."

After Renee gave her daughter a smirk and tied the robe, Christine stomped into the living room, turned off the TV, and strode right up to Matthew so she was looking him in the eye. "What in the hell possessed you to invite my mother here? Does your knight in shining armor routine apply to _everyone_, including people like my mother who take advantage of good and selfless natures like yours?"

Despite the fact that he wanted to answer her, it took Matthew some time to tear his eyes away from her low cut blouse. "You didn't bring a sweater or something to put over that did you?" He asked. "Do that and then we can talk."

"And there you go acting like such a guy," Christine sighed. "Here I thought you were immune to that."

"I really try to be," Matthew told her. "But think about it: I've had no long-lasting, intimate relationships for who knows how long because I've been worried about how Selina would take it. If you take that into consideration, it's very hard for me not to be interested when someone pretty comes along!"

"But the first woman you choose to go after is _my mother_?" Christine asked. "I thought you had better taste than that. You seem like a guy who's in things for the long haul. My mother isn't. You wouldn't like her."

"You got any better ideas?" Matthew asked.

"Yes!" Christine nodded, grabbing him and kissing him hard, not stopping even when she heard her mother's cry of shock. Matthew was shocked as well, so it took a little bit for him to realize what was happening, but when he had gotten used to it, his arm came around her and pulled her close against him.

Christine was surprised to feel that his lean body was also hard and muscular, and she even reached out and ran her open palms over his tight t-shirt. When they finally pulled apart, he was wide eyed and even shaking a little. "That was…a surprise," he got out.

"I'm not apologizing," Christine said firmly. She still stood close to him, close enough to reach out and touch his shoulder without much effort. They stared at one another for a moment longer and then Renee cleared her throat loudly.

"What do you want, Mom?" Christine asked tiredly, finally turning away from Matthew to face her mother.

"Nothing," Renee shook her head. "I just wanted you to stop making poor Matthew uncomfortable. Didn't you notice that you were doing that?"

"I was fine, really," Matthew said quickly. "It wasn't a problem."

"Well, my daughter has had control problems in the past and I don't want you to be another of her long list of conquests," Renee told him before going to the kitchen to root around in the fridge for something to eat.

The refrigerator was full, even though Matthew was a vampire and Renee took out a container of pieces of leftover chicken breast meat and began eating it with her fingers.

The three of them stood in awkward silence for a little bit before the washing machine beeped and Matthew went to move Renee's clothes to the dryer.

"You could have done that yourself, you know," Christine remonstrated her mother. "Matthew is a very sweet man with a loving nature and you shouldn't take advantage of that."

"Oh, but he was so desperate to help me," Renee pointed out. "Why should I deny him the chance? It would be so impolite."

"Well, once he gets back from moving your clothes to the dryer, he and I are going out," Christine replied. "Anything you want done from then, you'll have to do it yourself."

"We'll see about that," Renee replied.

But, knowing her mother as she did, Christine managed to catch Matthew before he went out and Renee could talk to him again and asked him to take her out riding. He was relieved, because although he didn't want to say it, he kind of wanted to get away from her mother because Renee scared him a little. Or a lot.

So, with his hand firmly in Christine's, they went out to confront her mother. "You can stay here as long as you need to," Matthew told Renee, who was still eating. "But Christine and I are going out. Your clothes will be in the dryer an hour before they can be taken out for you to wear."

"Thank you," Renee replied. "You know, it's a shame you can't stay."

"I know," Matthew nodded. "But there will be other times." He then let Christine pull him out the door and head to his truck as Zeke and Jack ran after them.

"We'll be back soon, babies," Christine told the dogs as she squatted to pet them and they scrambled to lick her hand. "I promise."

She then let Matthew lift her into the front seat of the truck and they were off once again to see Smokey.

* * *

"If you're scared of my mother, you can admit it," Christine told Matthew as Smokey trotted around the stable. "Sometimes she freaks me out a little too. And what she said about my promiscuity isn't true. I've actually never had sex before. Mom taught me that I'd rather not be with anyone at all if they can't commit to me. Are you scared of her too?"

"Well, I would be lying if I said I didn't find her a little overwhelming," Matthew admitted. "Are werewolf men attracted to that manner that she has?"

"It depends," Christine replied. "My adoptive father was. And Elijah obviously was too. So am I right in saying Selina's mom wasn't like that? Or do you not want to talk about her with me?"

"Oh, no, I can," Matthew replied. "The strange thing about Amelia was that when she wanted to, she could be very forthright and outgoing just like your mother was. But she grew up in a situation where her family ordered her to repress her werewolf nature upon pain of death, so that just left her very tightly wound and self-contained unless she really had no other choice but to express herself. At least that's what she was like for most of the time that I and Selina knew her. She was a very unpredictable person."

"But you loved her, right?" Christine asked.

"Oh, yes," Matthew nodded. "I even think sometimes that I see her in my house. But I know that can't be and it's probably just my fanciful imagination playing tricks and seeing what I want to see when I feel like I'm missing her."

"That's nice," Christine replied as Matthew laid his chin on her shoulder and she reached back to put hand on his cheek. "Smokey's very calm today," she remarked after. "The movement is so soothing I just might fall asleep."

"It's a good thing I'm steering then," Matthew said.

"Very true," Christine agreed. And then they both laughed. Again, time seemed to slip away until Matthew looked at his pocket watch and realized they'd been gone for two hours.

"Have we really?" Christine said in amazement. "I had no idea!"

"Me neither," Matthew agreed. "When it's just you and me together, I really can't seem to focus on anything else."

Christine smiled and squeezed his hand. "You know, I feel the same way," she replied.

* * *

After half an hour more, Christine said a reluctant goodbye to Smokey and then she and Matthew headed back to his house. When they arrived back, both Jack and Zeke were barking like mad from inside the house and sounding desperate to get out. Matthew opened the door and let them free, and then he and Christine headed inside. "I wonder what got them so worked up," he remarked.

Renee was nowhere in sight, so Christine called out for her mother and her yell was met with a groan of pain that sounded like it was coming from Matthew's bedroom. Christine and Matthew ran there and found Renee on the floor, an overturned dresser on top of her.

"Oh, my god!" Christine said, getting down next to her mother, whose face was contorted with pain. "Mom, just hang on and don't die. We'll get this off of you and get you to a hospital. We promise." She was grateful for Matthew's vampire strength as they slowly and gently lifted the dresser off Renee. Then, when it was upright, Matthew asked her, "Would you like to go to the doctor, or do you want me to give you some blood? If I give you blood, you'll heal quicker."

"Do it please," Christine told him. "We don't know how long she's been like this."

"Go get me a knife," Matthew ordered. Christine zipped out of the room and returned a few seconds later, handing Matthew a steak knife she'd gotten from the kitchen. She held her mother's hand as Matthew cut his arm and let the blood dribble into her mouth, letting out a sigh of relief when Renee finally sat up and let out a breath. She still looked pale and frightened, though.

"What the hell happened?" Christine asked. "How did a dresser fall on you, Mom?"

"It was the strangest thing," Renee replied. "I was getting my clothes and I happened to pass by here, and I saw the vanity. I came in for a closer look and began picking up all the little trinkets. They must be antique! They have to be! Then, I saw this blonde woman in the mirror behind me. She looked angry, but when I turned around, there was no one there. All the stuff on the dresser began flying away from me, which you'd never guess now because it's all where it's supposed to be, but it was a mess before. Then the dresser began shaking and I saw it tip. I tried to run away, but got me before I could."

"Well, you should be all right now," Matthew replied. "It would be good for you to go home and get some rest."

Christine nodded and then gave Matthew a hug. "Thank you so much for your help," she told him.

"Any time," Matthew told her. "It's my pleasure." Just to be sure Renee would be all right, he then offered to drive Renee and Christine home. Once he was sure they were safely settled in, he headed back home and to his bedroom, thinking about the blonde that Renee had claimed to see in the mirror. She hadn't said what she looked like in detail, but he had no doubt it was Amelia. This was confirmed when he saw something in the mirror he hadn't really noticed before, although they'd probably been there since Renee had been attacked. Five words, most likely in reference to Renee touching Amelia's things, as the dresser had once belonged to Amelia and it comforted Matthew to keep some of her belongings near him. It said, **These are mine. Get out.**

* * *

"I'm so proud of how you're handling this whole 'Amanda wanting to move out' thing," Selina told Elijah on the way to Ethan and Jeffrey's wedding. Amanda and Viktor were in the backseat listening intently to the conversation.

"Yeah, Daddy," Amanda replied. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Elijah sighed. "I don't mind having an empty house, free of children, all quiet…"

"I'm still gonna be at home," Selina reminded him. "If you want me to, I can wake you up at weird hours and make lots of unnecessary noise. Would that help?"

"Maybe," Elijah told her. "But we don't need to try it."

"Oh, we just might, depending on how your child desire goes," Selina replied, intent on doing whatever she had to in order to dissuade him from convincing her to have another kid for just a little longer.

Fortunately, Elijah didn't take the subject any farther and not another word was said until they arrived at the courthouse and met Ethan and his boyfriend Jeffrey, who had short dark hair, a tan, and dark eyes. Except for the tan and their differences in dress (Ethan was dressed in a suit with a green tie, and Jeffrey wore dark jeans, a green muscle shirt that matched Ethan's tie, and a leather jacket) they looked very much alike.

"Did you two come on your bike?" Amanda asked her brother, hugging him and Jeffrey in turn as Selina remarked on how nice they both looked. Jeffrey's family had been busy and they'd have another ceremony later for them, despite his grandfather's disapproval of his being gay. He'd not been told, but at least Jeffrey's parents and many other family members were happy for them.

"Yeah, we did," Jeffrey replied while Ethan talked with Elijah and Viktor. "You still me to teach you to ride it sometime? You must be eighteen by now, right?"

"My birthday was not too long ago," Amanda replied and then looked at her father. "That _was_ the age I had to be to go on Jeffrey and Ethan's bike, right?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "You can go ahead and go on it. Just be sure and wear a helmet."

"She will," Jeffrey promised him. "Don't worry." They then filled out the forms and were soon after married while Selina, Elijah, Amanda, and Viktor watched. Elijah squirmed a little when they kissed and were pronounced husband and husband, but Selina held on to him, and he got out a "Congratulations" as they all headed back to the car to head to Selina and Elijah's where as many of his siblings as possible would be waiting to have the reception.


	30. Don't Be Afraid

"So what happened to my mother with the dresser? Tell me again," Christine requested. They were sitting in his car with Zeke and Jack in their laps and talking about what had happened with Renee.

"I think the dresser was pushed on top of her by my wife's ghost," Matthew replied. "Your mom was touching her stuff and my wife was very possessive. I know it sounds crazy, but…"

"Oh, no it doesn't," Christine shook her head. "I'm a werewolf kind of, so it would be rich for me not to believe in spirits. Is that why we're out here in the car? You think your wife will hurt me too?"

"I don't know," Matthew replied. "But it never hurts to be sure." He paused. "I'm tired of sitting out here. I wanna go and do something."

"Well, have the doggies had their walks yet?" Christine asked fondly, petting Jack on the head. "Let's do that."

"That is a good idea," Matthew replied, even though it was beginning to rain. He ran inside and got the dogs' leashes, attached them to the dogs' collars, and began walking with them. But then Jack, who was with Christine, saw a squirrel and began chasing it as she tried to hold on to his leash and run after him. Finally, the speed just got to be too much and his leash was ripped out of her hand as she fell head over heels into a mud puddle.

Matthew swore quietly, then, keeping one hand on Zeke, helped Christine to her feet and noticed she was covered in mud. "You take the car while I go catch Jack," he told her.

Christine looked down at her wet and mud covered self. "You mind if I take a shower when I get back?"

"Sure," Matthew nodded. "Be my guest. But the temperature of the shower is a bit weird, just to warn you." He handed her his keys. "I have another set cause I'm just that kind of person," he said when she asked if he would be able to get back in if she had them. "You go ahead and go wash yourself up.'

"All right," Christine nodded. "Thank you very much." She then told him goodbye wished him luck about finding Jack.

* * *

She made good time getting back to Matthew's house and after letting Zeke through the door, locked it behind herself and let out her breath. She felt weird being in Matthew's house alone still, like she was intruding. Remembering what the ghost of Matthew's wife had done to her mother, she cried out, "Ms. Warren? My name is Christine and I'm a friend of your husband's. I need to take a shower, but I promise I won't touch any of your things, all right?"

She then waited to see if Amelia would respond, but she didn't so Christine continued to the bathroom, stripping off her wet clothes and turning on the shower. She put her hand under the spray, and waited for the cold water to warm, but it didn't very much, and finally, she said heck with it and got in the shower anyway, shivering as all the dirt left her body.

Unbeknownst to her though, Zeke was about to do something that would make him as naughty as his brother. Christine had left the bathroom door open and he sneaked in and grabbed the towel she was going to use off the toilet and ran off with it, so when a shivering and wet Christine got out of the shower, she had nothing to dry off with. She stood there for a second, thinking about what to do, then felt very grateful when she heard Matthew call out, followed by Jack's bark. Taking a deep breath, she ran out of the bathroom like a streaker, and said to a shocked Matthew, who was looking at her in surprise, "I-I need another towel. There was only one left in the cabinet before I took my shower and Zeke took it. Can you help me?"

Matthew stared at her, and nodded, but instead of getting her a towel, he took off his shirt and put it on her, then held her to himself, trying to get her to stop shivering.

"Th-thank you," Christine got out. "I know this has to be pretty embarrassing for you."

Matthew put his fingers under her chin so that she was looking in his eyes. "You act as if I've never seen another woman naked before," he said. "But I have. I'm not gonna blush and avert my eyes if you don't want me to."

"Oh, I don't!" Christine insisted. "I'm fine." She then leaned forward and kissed him, and to her surprise, she felt his hands go down her back, lift up the bottom of her t-shirt, and cup her bare bottom. "Your wife," she whispered quickly against Matthew's lips. "We don't want to upset your wife."

"You're right," Matthew replied and moved his hands. He then stepped back and gave her a long look before saying, "Did Zeke run off with your clothes too?"

"No," she shook her head. "They're in the bathroom."

"Great," Matthew smiled. "Do you need me to help you dress?"

"Sure," Christine said. "I mean, I don't know if that will be as sexy as _undressing_ me, but if you want to help me, I sure as hell won't say 'No'." She took his hand and led him to the bathroom where her shirt, shorts, bra, panties, socks, and shoes lay in a pile next to the toilet. Christine sat down on the toilet and gave Matthew a smile. "Can I have a little help?" She asked. "These buttons are kind of hard for me to get my fingers around."

"Of course," Matthew replied and reached out to help her. "I'd be glad to."

Christine kept her eyes on the buttons as Matthew deftly undid each one, and only brought her head up as Matthew pulled the unbuttoned shirt away from her bare skin and sucked in a breath.

"Are you okay?" Christine asked, trying not to laugh. "If…if this is too much for you, I can do the rest of it myself."

"Oh, no," Matthew replied. "I can handle it. I had to do this so often for my wife when I was human." He first grabbed her bra and handed it to her. She put it on and then held her hand out for the next article of clothing. But to her surprise, Mathew picked up her panties, slipped them over her feet until they reached her knees, and then ordered her to stand up so he could pull them up the rest of the way. He did it very slowly and the hot look in his eyes made her feel amazed that she could be aroused while being dressed too. He then put on her shirt, and her shorts and socks, and even tied her shoes for her. If anyone else had done that last thing, she would have felt embarrassed about being treated like a child, but he had such a gentle, helpful way about him that she liked it very much.

"Thanks for your help," she smiled when he pulled the laces tight and she finally stood up. "That's…that's the most enjoyable time I've had getting dressed ever, I think."

"It's my pleasure," Matthew told her. He then went and got her another towel so she could dry off her hair, apologizing for Jack taking the first one.

"Oh, don't worry about it," she said. "He probably just thought he was having some fun. I can't blame him for that. Look at what it got me."

Matthew chuckled. "I suppose you do have a point," he agreed. They then went into the living room, and after Christine made up some popcorn, she sat next to him on the sofa and said, "So how long have you been around? If it's not something bad to bring up."

"I was turned in 1847 while fighting in the Mexican-American war," Matthew told her. "I'd gone off to fight when Selina just a baby of around two months old. My unit was in Texas and there was a huge typhoid epidemic. I caught it, and while I was in the hospital just waiting to die like all the other men, the nurse took a liking to me. When I was at death's door, I found out she was a vampire. She turned me so that we could be together, but she neglected to tell anyone else right after, and when when I was thought to be dead, they buried me right away, so I wouldn't infect others."

"You were buried _alive_?" Christine asked, eyes wide. "That couldn't have been pleasant."

"Oh, it wasn't," Matthew assured her. "That's why I'm claustrophobic now."

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "I bet. But how did you get out?"

"Luckily, I was as close to the doctor treating me as I was the nurse who turned me. The doctor was a vampire too, and when the nurse, who was his daughter, Lucy, told him what she'd done, they ran out to dig me up before I'd been in there too long, even though it was certainly long enough for me," Matthew told her. "Then came months of being taught to control my vampire nature, but by the time I was considered safe enough to be among people, I was told that my wife had already been informed of my death and that it would be unwise to go home. I listened to that advice and made my first big mistake: I didn't go home and Amelia married a very abusive man named Robert Pierce because she didn't think it was proper to remain unmarried, even though it was different being a widow compared to being a single woman. He hurt her so much, and he hurt Selina too. And still, because I was afraid of how Amelia would act if she saw me when she thought I was dead, I did nothing to stop it."

"Well you were in a very hard place," Christine tried to comfort him and put her head on his shoulder since he looked very sad. "It wasn't your fault."

"Yes it was," Matthew nodded. "If I had just gone home, it would have been all right. But I…I was a coward. It took me more than ten years to finally get up the nerve to kill that man."

"What finally did it for you?" Christine asked.

"I was told that he was hurting Selina. That she'd been brought to the doctor with horrible bruises and bumps. She had even been unconscious for a time. The man who had been my doctor at the army camp and had helped me adjust was the doctor in town. He told me that he'd be my eyes and ears and watch over both my wife and daughter for me and give me a safe place to come visit Selina every so often. And when I…when I heard that she was being hurt that badly, that was when I felt I had to act. I sneaked back into town, caught the man unawares, and I…I ripped his throat out. I fed from him and enjoyed it. Nothing made me happier than killing the man who'd hurt my wife and daughter so badly." He smiled in satisfaction. "I know you probably think I'm a terrible monster for that, but…that was how I felt. I knew it was unlikely I'd be caught, but it was years and years before I felt safe coming back home again. I missed Selina getting engaged, having her first child, becoming a vampire herself…all because once again, I was afraid. And now…now I struggle with making a life for myself because I don't want Selina to feel like I'm abandoning her again."

"Well, now she's grown up and she has a family of her own," Christine reminded him as she put a comforting hand on his arm. "It's not like you'll be leaving her completely alone if you decide to put other things in your life. As long as she knows you love her and you make time for her, I don't think you'll have anything to worry about."

"I hope you're right," Matthew replied and put his arms around her. "I really do."


	31. The Cavalry Arrives

"Are you sure you really want me to see your prom dress?" Viktor asked from outside of Amanda's bedroom door as she twirled in front of the mirror and tried to coax him inside. "Don't you want to wait and show me on the night of the dance?"

"Why?" Amanda asked. "It's not the same as when we'll get married. Prom is different! Plus, your tie has to match my dress, so don't you need to know what color my dress is?"

"Just tell me," Viktor replied.

"Oh, all right," Amanda sighed. "I don't know if this is cute or annoying." She paused. "I suppose I can go with cute."

"What are you doing?" She heard her father's voice asking Viktor.

"I want Amanda's prom dress to be a surprise," Viktor told him. "Do you know what color her dress is so I can match my tie to it?"

"It's violet," Elijah told him. "You want to come to the living room and get a drink?"

"Sure," Viktor replied. "Thanks."

"Wait a minute!" Amanda called. "How can you not come in here and look at my dress?" Picking up her skirts, (the dress was very poofy for someone who usually spent their life in jeans and a t-shirt) Amanda strode purposefully toward the door, opened it, and ran after Viktor and her father, shouting at them.

"Will you just _look_, Viktor?" She asked. "I'm not gonna let this go until you do."

Knowing that she was telling the truth, Viktor turned around and stared, surprised at first by the uncharacteristic dress, but then realizing just how pretty she looked. He especially liked that her hair was up so that he could see her eyes. "You look really lovely," he said.

"Thank you," Amanda nodded. "And now that we've got this over with, I can change. Will you unzip me, Viktor? Mom got me dressed but she's gone over to Grandpa Matthew's to show him what _she's _wearing, so I'll need an extra hand.

Viktor took a few steps toward her but Elijah held his arm out to stop his friend. "I'll do it," he said. "Just wait a minute, Amanda, and I'll be in your room to help you."

"All right," Amanda nodded, part of her wishing she'd decided to show Viktor the dress at his house so her father couldn't interfere like this. "You do what you need to and I'll be waiting for you." She then went back to her room, shut the door, and twirled in front of the mirror some more because as much as she hated dressing up, in this instance, she had to admit that she liked looking like a princess.

* * *

"Hi, Daddy," Selina said when Matthew opened the door to his house and brought her inside. She was wearing a knee-green dress with a sparkly silver belt around the waist and her dark hair was up with some of it cascading down her shoulders in curls. "How do I look?"

"Beautiful, of course," Matthew replied. "What did you get all dressed up for? Are you and Elijah going out?"

"No, it's for a dance at school," Selina replied and sat down. Not wanting to ruin her skirt, Matthew tried to hold back Jack and Zeke, who were very eager to see his daughter. "Elijah and I are chaperoning." Selina gave a smile.

"Well, you look very good," Matthew smiled.

"Thank you," Selina told him and got up to twirl. "Mama probably wouldn't like this dress cause it's too short, but I'm glad you do."

As if on cue, a blanket rose from the back of the sofa and wrapped around the upper half of Selina's dress. Apparently, it wasn't the skirt length that displeased her mother, but how low cut it was.

"Give it a rest, please, Amelia," Matthew said firmly. Then the blanket dropped to the floor and Selina sat next to her father on the sofa.

"Is she like this all the _time?_" Selina asked in a loud whisper. "What's the problem? I thought she'd like to see me like this. I came over here for her as much as you."

"And you think I'm supposed to be _happy_ about this?" Amelia cried, appearing before them suddenly with a sour expression and her hands on her hips as she observed her daughter.

"Well, yeah!" Selina nodded, standing up again. "You forced me into so much fancy dress wearing crap when I was a kid that I thought you'd be glad to see me finally go for it!"

"What I would like to know is why you couldn't take two seconds out of your life to show off for my friends at teas, or even do the Founders' day pageant so I could be proud of you, but now something comes up and you're running to buy a dress! It's pure self-absorption, that's what it is! You're more concerned with yourself than helping your mother!" She turned her attention to Matthew. "Tell her I'm right! Cause I am!"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Amelia!" Matthew sighed and rubbed his temple. "If she didn't want to go do teas with your friends, you shouldn't have tried to force her to go!"

"Yeah!" Selina agreed. "I was a girl, not a performing monkey, or a doll that you could make up and show off to impress your equally vapid and shallow friends!"

"My friends were _not_ vapid and shallow!" Amelia cried. "They were good people!"

"No, they weren't," said another, much calmer voice as a woman with curly dark hair and warm blue eyes appeared next to Amelia. "They were terrible people. Your taste in friends really declined after I died. What happened to you, Amelia?"

"Yes, thank you, Charlotte," Matthew breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the other ghost, who, in life had been Amelia's closest friend as well as Damon and Stefan's mother. "What happened to you, Amelia? You changed, and not in a good way!"

"Well, I'm sorry if you don't like how I turned out, Matthew!" Amelia cried. "But it's not like you were around enough to help out with that!"

"He thought that if he showed up after you'd been told he was dead, you'd be scared," Selina told her. "Obviously, he underestimated you."

"You stayed away cause you thought I'd be _scared_?" Amelia asked him. "Was I scared when you finally _did_ show your face?"

"No, but you'd been drinking, so I figured you'd just pass me off as a drunken hallucination," Matthew replied. "Not as someone who was really there."

"I know you had your reasons for doing what you did," Amelia told him. "But I wish…I wish you could have just come home, regardless of how you thought I'd react or not. It would have been better for everyone."

"I know that _now_," Matthew told her. "But it's not like we can change the past, so we just have to move forward."

"Oh, like how you're moving forward with that werewolf harlot that was running around your house in nothing but a towel?!" Amelia cried. "And what about that other one who was naked?"

"You keep away from Christine!" Matthew said firmly. "She's done nothing to you, and she makes me happy. If you really loved me at all, you'd support me."

"Well, if you really loved _me_, you wouldn't have left me alone!" Amelia cried. "We can't have everything we want, can we?" She turned to face Charlotte, who was standing aside, looking like she wanted to interfere, but not knowing what to do. "Come on!" She ordered her friend. "Let's go. I can't deal with this anymore!"

With a sigh, Charlotte followed Amelia through the wall and they both disappeared.

"That was fun," Selina sighed. Then she looked at her father, who was rubbing his temples, his eyes squeezed shut.

"You want a drink, some pills, or both?" She asked.

"Both, please," Matthew replied. "You're a very good daughter."

Selina went and got them for him and then asked, "Would you like me to stay a bit? I can tell Elijah. I'm sure he won't mind."

"No, thank you," Matthew replied, taking the pills and then gulping down some whiskey. "I have a better idea. You go about your business, and don't worry about me. You look very lovely though."

"Thank you," Selina said, getting up and kissing his cheek. "I hope you feel better soon."

"I doubt that'll be the case with your mother around, but I'll try," Matthew promised her. "I know just the thing to cheer myself up."

* * *

"So," Matthew asked Christine when he reached her house (which Elijah had helped her buy so she didn't have to live with him and Selina) several minutes later. "Selina tells me there's a big dance coming up at your school. Are you thinking about going?"

Christine chuckled. "Not really. I'm not a 'flouncy dress and dancing all night in heels that are too high' kind of person. I was just thinking of maybe staying home. Elijah and Selina will be gone, so I'll probably order a pizza and watch TV." She paused. "Does that disappoint you?" She asked him. "Were you hoping I was going so we could go together?"

"No, actually, I've already done a school dance," Matthew told her. "I went to one a long time ago with a girl Selina wasn't too fond of. Caroline Forbes was her name, and it…it's not really an experience I'd care to repeat."

"Good," Christine nodded. "So, if you're not doing anything…would you like to come and and watch movies with me? Or we could, you know, do something else."

Matthew shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me what we do as long as I get to spend time with you," he told her, leaving her to blush furiously before he grabbed her and kissed her until the lights began to flicker and they pulled apart. Amelia, still on the warpath, had evidently followed him to Christine's house. "I guess our chaperone thinks we're being inappropriate," Christine said.

"I know, but I'll do something about that," Matthew promised. "Don't worry. She's not even supposed to be here."

"I'm not scared of her," Christine said firmly. "She can do whatever she wants and I'm not gonna cower."

"Well, that's good, but you might just be making things worse for yourself." Matthew warned as she kissed him.

"We'll just see about that," Christine told him before she kissed him deeply on the lips as Charlotte once again tried to keep control on an irate Amelia.

* * *

"Okay," Viktor said to Astrid the night of the prom as she made up his new look so no one would be freaked out by the sight of Amanda dancing with a teacher. "Can I look yet?"

"Just a second," Astrid replied. "I have to finish one more thing!"

"Can I come in yet, Astrid?" Amanda called impatiently from the other side of her bedroom door. "I really wanna see him!"

"You just have no patience, do you?" Viktor called, his voice full of good humor.

"Oh, be nice," Astrid smiled. "Can you blame her for being excited? There. Now you can look." Viktor looked and then turned to face Astrid. "I look like Alistair! Why did you make me look like your husband?"

"Oh, you don't look _that_ much like Alistair!" Astrid replied (although he did, with the exception of having blue eyes and not brown ones.) "You told me you want me to make you look handsome, and _this_ is what I consider handsome. Besides, he looks completely opposite of you, so no one will suspect a thing!"

"You have a good point," Viktor replied. Then he called Amanda in to come look at him.

"You did a very good job," Amanda remarked as she played with Viktor's new short dark hair. "And thanks for being so cool about this. But why does Viktor look like Alistair?"

"Cause that's what she considers handsome," Viktor replied with a smile. "Plus she's convinced that since I look so different now, no one will suspect a thing about who I really am."

"Oh, I get it!" Amanda nodded. "All right." She helped Viktor with his tie, took his hand, and led him out the door of her bedroom where they ran into her parents.

Elijah's eyes widened and his grip on Selina's hand momentarily tightened. "Oh, my god!" He cried. "You're going to the prom with _Alistair_ now? How will Astrid feel about that? And what about Viktor?"

"Elijah, it's me, Viktor," Viktor assured him. "This is my disguise. My daughter decided to make me look like her husband."

"Oh," Elijah calmed down. "Okay."

There was one more bit of confusion when the real Alistair came to pick Astrid up, walked right past Viktor, did a double take, and then strode back to his father-in-law. "What in the world happened to you?" He wanted to know.

"That's his disguise so he and Amanda can go to prom," Elijah told him. "Don't worry, Alistair. I was as shocked as you."

"I just wanted to make him handsome," Astrid replied and came to take Alistair's arm while giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Can you blame me for wanting him to look like you?"

"No," Alistair replied, color flushing his cheeks. "I guess I can't."

Elijah then checked his watch and said, "If we want to make our dinner reservations before the dance, we better go now."

"You have your own car, don't you, Viktor?" Amanda asked as he gave her his arm.

"I do," Viktor nodded.

"He does," Elijah told her. "You have been saved the indignity of riding in the same car as your parents on prom night."

"All right, good," Amanda nodded. "And Daddy, thank you for trusting us."

"Of course we trust you," Selina replied. "Just don't do anything that I may have done several times with lots of men who were wrong for me before I found the right one."

"All right," Amanda promised as they headed out to the cars, glad she wouldn't have to deal with her father's follow-up response to what her mother had just said. "We won't."

* * *

Meanwhile, Matthew arrived at Christine's that same night, once again looking very much worse for wear. "Another long day?" She asked sympathetically as she brought him inside.

"Oh, you have no idea," Matthew replied. "I'm sorry if I'm not good company tonight, but I'm just…I'm so worn out, and I just…" He then just collapsed face first onto the bearskin rug by the fireplace and didn't get up.

"Are you okay?" Christine asked. "Please don't tell me you're dead!"

"No," Matthew replied. "I just want to lie like this forever and not get up."

"Can you sit up a few seconds to take your shirt off?" Christine asked. "I think someone could use a back massage. Hell, I could even do a full body one if you want."

"But what about Amelia?" Matthew wanted to know. "We already know she can come here if the mood strikes."

"I said I wasn't scared of her and I meant it," Christine told him firmly, leaning down to kiss him before helping him remove his shirt. "You're more important now. Someone needs to take care of you as much as you've taken care of other people, and that person is me."

Matthew gave her a long look and smiled. "Thank you," he got out. He threw his shirt on a chair and then Christine began massaging his back.

"You really did need this," she remarked. "Your muscles are so tight. Lots of tension there. I can't imagine why." She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"You have very nice hands," Matthew remarked as she moved up his back and onto his shoulders where even _more_ tension was. He made a noise and Christine said, "Sorry, did I hurt you?"

"No, it just…I must be tighter there. It feels like you're pinching me," Matthew told her.

"Sorry," Christine apologized again, moving her hands from his shoulders and ordering him to turn over onto his back.

Obediently, he turned over, enjoying the feeling of the bearskin on his bare back. He let out a chuckle as Christine began massaging his torso. "Are you feeling better now?" She asked.

"Oh, yes," Matthew nodded. "Would you do me a favor and come live with me forever?"

"I'm that good, huh?" Christine asked dryly. "I suppose that could be arranged." She moved from his torso to his arms, and then when she was massaging his neck, he pulled her down to kiss him. The first kiss was just a quick one before she let her head down to kiss him again, one that was much deeper. Matthew brought his hands up around her waist and rolled her over so that he was on top of her. Her arms went around his neck as he kissed hers. She moaned and then moved a little so she could reach down for his zipper, which she unzipped deftly as she felt his hands slip under her shirt and undo her bra.

Meanwhile, Amelia was watching, of course. And getting madder, and madder. The girl just had no respect and no class! The picture frames on the mantle began to shake, some falling off and breaking. When that wasn't enough to persuade the little hussy to cease making moves on her husband, the chandelier above them began to shake violently. _That_ got their attention.

"I think we should stop," Christine said at last and got up off Matthew, allowing him time to zip up his pants and put his shirt back on. "I told you I was brave, but I'm not stupid."

"I'm really sorry about this," Matthew apologized.

"It's fine," Christine replied, fixing her bra. "I promise. Let's watch a movie instead." And they put on a movie, sitting in separate chairs on opposite sides of the room until it ended and Matthew decided he needed to go home.

* * *

But even then, Amelia wasn't satisfied. A few days later, Matthew and Christine went horseback riding again. This time, Christine felt competent enough to have a horse of her own, and she and Matthew rode along for a bit, her on Smokey and him on an Appaloosa named Spot. All was well until suddenly, Smoky reared and then took off. He'd been frightened by the sudden appearance of Amelia in front of him on the trail.

Christine managed to hang on, but she screamed as Smokey ran faster and faster toward a cliff. "Help me!" She screamed. "Matthew, help me, _please!"_

Matthew was already on it, pushing Spot to move faster and faster, even using his riding crop, which was something he rarely did. He finally caught up to Christine just as Smokey reached the cliff, getting close enough to snatch her off the saddle with one hand and stop the frightened horse with the other. He was breathing heavily and so was Christine as he held her in his arms and they both tried to calm down.

"Don't take this the wrong way," she told Matthew when she could speak at last. "But I think…I think that given what just happened, it might be best for you and I to, you know, separate, until Amelia calms down. She just about killed me!" She paused. "Well, we don't know for sure it was her that scared Smokey, but I didn't see anyone else around and no other noise happened before he got scared, so…so I think we can safely guess it was her."

"Yeah, you're right," Matthew nodded, even though the thought of letting her go broke his heart. "But it…it won't be forever. I'll get Amelia straightened out. I promise."

"I know you will," Christine nodded and lay her head on his shoulder. "You better, or we'll both be sad."

Matthew gave a chuckle and tried to stay strong. "Well," he said, "What do you say we do one more thing before we go our separate ways?"

"Sure," Christine agreed. "What is it?"

"Shower," Matthew replied. "I need one."

"I've got no problem with that," Christine replied. "But we're doing it at my house. Not yours. It's easier to get warm water there anyway."

So Matthew led both horses back to the stable with Christine riding Smokey, and then, after the horses were securely put away, they drove to Christine's house, which was once again free of her mother.

"She's at Roxie's," Christine told him when Matthew asked where Renee was. "It's a bar. I should take you there sometime. It's fun." They then headed to the shower and undressed each other after Christine made sure the bathroom door was shut firmly. They then got under a blessedly warm fall of water and slowly washed each other off, then taking their heads out from under the spray to kiss. They delayed getting out even when they knew they were just wasting water.

Finally, they got out and toweled each other off, then got dressed and Matthew drove Christine to the park where they sat with their shoes off and their bare feet in the lake as the sun beat down on their shoulders (which was not a problem thanks to their rings.) Then, although it was too soon, when Christine got a call from Renee telling her that she'd come home and was not feeling well, they got up, put their shoes and socks on, got in the truck, and Matthew drove Christine home, walking her to the door and giving her one last long kiss before driving home, collapsing on the sofa, and yelling at Amelia, "Okay, she's gone now. I hope you're happy!"

And then her disembodied voice responded, "Oh, you better believe I am. I know you're upset, but you'll thank me for this in the long run. Trust me, Matthew. I know what I'm doing."

"Yes," Matthew replied ruefully and kicked the sofa. "I just bet you do."


	32. You Can't Walk Away

"I apologize for all the times I told you to be nice to your mother," Matthew told Selina, his voice bitter as she brought him a piece of cake and he stabbed it repeatedly with his fork. "She just likes to ruin everything for everyone, doesn't she?"

"What happened?" Selina asked as she sat down.

"She made me break up with the woman I've been seeing," Matthew replied. "Tried to kill her and everything."

"I _told_ you to be careful about dating werewolves," Selina reminded him. "And that if you picked a werewolf, Mama would find out and make you miserable. I'm really sorry, too."

"Thank you," Matthew replied. "If she was as horrible to you as she was to me when you were growing up, no wonder your childhood was terrible. It's a shame, cause she wasn't always that way."

"I go back and forth between my feelings about Mama," Selina replied. "On the one hand, she caused me lots of problems. On the other, think about all she went through because of Grandaddy Lockwood's decision to make the whole family keep quiet about the werewolf stuff. In her own messed up and inflexible way, she was only trying to protect me, I guess."

"You're damn right I was!" Amelia cried. "Why did it take you so long to understand that?"

"Cause it didn't apply to everything!" Selina said. "I understand you wanting to curb my tendency toward violence and why you freaked out after I hurt the overseer, but that's no excuse to stop me from wearing pants and riding horses and playing outside. _None _of those things would have turned me into a werewolf. Why couldn't you have just let me be?"

Once again, Matthew looked tired as he looked back and forth between his daughter and his wife. "Go ahead, Amelia," he said warily. "Tell her why you curbed her activities so much, even the ones you knew wouldn't do any harm. Tell her that you were jealous about how bold she was, and how willing she was to do things that you wanted to do, but just couldn't bring yourself to because you thought it would make people view you badly and looking good in the eyes of others was more important to you than anything else. I heard it before I turned you and she should too."

"Seriously?" Selina asked, getting to her feet. "You made a choice to restrict your own activities to abide by a bunch of stupid rules so you could get the approval of a bunch of self-absorbed idiots, and then thought that because you didn't get to do certain things, I shouldn't either? How is that fair?"

"Well, how you behaved reflected on me," Amelia replied. "I couldn't have you running around all creation like a hooligan, now could I? What would people have thought?"

"Why the hell did you even care?" Selina shouted. "Why couldn't you have just done your own thing and said 'To heck with all of you'?"

"Well, in case you don't remember," Amelia told her, voice tight, "We were only allowed to stay in town after your uncle was murdered if we abided by specific rules. If we made it clear that we wouldn't do any harm to anyone else. How could I know how my doing things like you did would make people perceive me? What if they'd thought I was a threat? I would have been sent away and you would have been an orphan!"

"We could have moved," Selina pointed out. "We could have gone to another town where no one knew anything about you and what happened with Uncle Jake. If you'd have asked me to do that, I would have done it."

"Well, you wouldn't have had a choice cause you'd have been a child," Amelia replied.

"So why didn't we leave?" Selina sighed.

It was then that Amelia gave her husband a long, sad look. "I guess it was because in my heart of hearts, I knew your father wasn't dead. I knew that he'd probably been lost somewhere, and that if he came back, he had to be able to find us. If we'd have moved, that would have been difficult."

"I came back every year," Matthew told her. "To see Selina. I had no idea you wanted to see me too. If I'd have known…oh, Amelia, I'm sorry." He got up to hug her, but of course he couldn't. When he got too close to her, she just disappeared. He stood staring at the empty spot where she'd been, and then turned to face his daughter, who was waiting for him with her arms out. He embraced her, his head on her shoulder as he tried to stop tears from rolling down his cheeks.

* * *

"Tell me again why you and Matthew aren't seeing each other anymore," Eva requested of Christine. "Was he mean to you? Do I need to punch him in the face?"

"No," Christine shook her head and sighed. "He didn't do anything. If it were up to him, we'd still be together. But I…I needed a break from him. Well, not so much _him_ as the ghost of his crazy wife who tried to kill me."

"His wife tried to kill you?" Eva asked, eyes wide. "Why didn't you just sink your fangs into her neck and hurt her worse?"

"You can't kill someone who's already dead," Christine said patiently as she looked around her blessedly silent house. "Did you miss the part where I said she was a ghost?"

"So you're just gonna let the ghost win?" Eva wanted to know. "There has to be someone who can deal with this."

"Who?" Christine asked. "The Ghostbusters?"

"Can you do that?" Eva asked in amazement. "_Are_ there really such people?"

"No, Eva," Christine sighed. "I was being sarcastic."

"Oh," Eva nodded. "Okay. So you and Matthew are done? That's it? You're not even gonna fight back?"

"She tried to kill me, and she's a ghost," Christine reiterated for what seemed like the millionth time. "What am I supposed to do against her?"

"I don't know!" Eva threw her hands up in the air. "But if you really love him, you should at least try to do _something._"

"Like what?" Christine snapped. "Please tell me what you think I should do."

"Go talk to him!" Eva cried. "Even if it doesn't lead to the two of you getting back together, I still don't think you should accept your relationship ending just because his crazy dead wife doesn't like it."

"Fine," Christine sighed. "I will." But she didn't move and, finally, growling with impatience, Eva grabbed her hand, pulled her to her feet, and dragged her off in search of Matthew.

"Where do you think he would be?" Eva demanded as she commandeered Christine's car and began driving. "At his house? Where does he live?"

"I know you think you're trying to be helpful and I'm very grateful, but I don't think we're going about this the right way," Christine told her as she bumped along in the passenger's seat."

"Why not?" Eva wanted to know. "All you have to do is talk to him. It'll take two seconds and then we can leave."

Christine threw her hands up in the air, sighed, and gave Eva directions to Matthew's house. She got there, parked, and then told Christine as she got out, "I'll just wait out here and we'll go when you're done."

Christine squared her shoulders and went to knock on Matthew's front door. He answered it, and sighed. "What did I tell you about coming here?" He snapped, still feeling a bit out of sorts because of dealing with Amelia. "My wife already tried to kill you once. It's not worth you coming back here and risking getting hurt again just to see me. I'll tell you when things have been fixed and then we can start over again. Goodbye."

"Now, just a minute there, sparky," Christine replied as he turned around and was about to leave her standing alone on the porch. "I didn't come here to try and get back together with you or anything. I get why we split up, and I have no intention of going through that again. But all I want to say is that you better actually be fighting for us because if you just shooed me away only to sit around like a lump while your ghost wife runs everything, let me say that I think I deserve better, and if need be, I _will_ go out and find it. I hope I don't have to, but I will." She stared him down, and after a few minutes, he grabbed her, kissed her hard, and said, "Go, please. I love you."

He seemed earnest, so Christine gave him a nod, turned around, and ran back to Eva's car as Matthew shut the door behind him.

"How did it go?" Eva asked as they drove away. "I saw you kiss him. Are you back together?"

"No," Christine shook her head. "But I really hope we will be soon."

* * *

"I still can't believe your father is letting you move in with me," Viktor said in amazement as he helped Amanda bring her stuff into his house. She wasn't officially graduated yet, but she wanted to be settled in by graduation day.

"Why's it so hard to believe?" Amanda wanted to know. "You're a good guy. Knowing I'm with you eases my father's mind from thinking I'm gonna run off with a thief or a murderer or something."

"Your father doesn't really believe you'd run off with a man like that," Viktor replied, looking a little shocked. "Does he?"

"He probably doesn't," Amanda replied. "But when he's talking about my future and all the messes I could get into, he tends to get ridiculously hyperbolic."

"Oh," Viktor nodded. "Well, he doesn't have to do that anymore." They then put the last box down and sat down on the sofa. "What do you think of my house?" He asked. "I assume you wanna make some changes?"

Amanda looked around. Viktor's decorating taste was very simple and masculine like her father's, so it was something she was used to. "I won't change too much," she assured him. "I just think it could use a little color. That's all."

"All right, I can handle that," Viktor nodded. "Astrid's been saying the same thing for some time now, and I think if I wait any longer, she's gonna wait until I'm gone one day and come in with painters and stuff."

"Well, I'll head her off at the pass," Amanda assured him. "I promise." They went out and got a few more boxes, and just as Amanda shut the trunk of her car, they saw Astrid's car coming down the street. They waited, and then came to greet her when she parked in the driveway.

"Am I interrupting anything?" She asked, getting out of her car and taking hold of a potted plant that had been in the front seat. "Amanda told me she was moving in with you today and I just thought I'd bring something over as a welcoming gesture."

"You know, you're taking this awfully well," Viktor told her as he took the plant out of her hands. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Astrid replied. "Have the two of you discussed decorations yet?"

"She wants color in my place just as much as you do," Viktor told her.

"See?" Astrid replied. "I knew someone else would see reason!" They headed inside and she looked at her father with an eager smile on her face. "I know people. I can have decorators and painters and stuff here in two seconds. When do you want me to call them?"

"Well, let me have time to breathe first," Viktor smiled, putting the plant on the floor. "Amanda and I are just moving her in now!"

"Oh, right," Astrid replied as she zapped up a pad of paper and began making a list of everyone she would need to call to help with the decorating. "Of course we'll wait until you're ready." She looked at them. "I'm thinking yellow for the living room. How's that?"

Amanda looked at Viktor as Astrid went to have a look at the other rooms. "Has she always been like this?" She asked. "I'm a little afraid."

"Yes, actually," Viktor nodded. "One time when she was a little girl, her mother and I went on a trip and left her with a babysitter, and when we came back, she'd arranged every room in the house and we had no idea where anything was. We asked her why she did it and all she said was, 'I like it better this way'."

"Don't worry," Amanda assured him. "That won't happen with us. This'll still be our house."

"You think you can reason with her before things get out of control?" Viktor asked.

"Yes," Amanda assured him and gave him a kiss before going to find Astrid. "I think I can."


	33. Taking Drastic Measures

"Elijah!" Selina called as she stood by the counter and reached for the door of the cupboard which held the sugar and happened to be just barely out of her reach. "Elijah, come here, please! I can't reach the sugar and I need help!"

"All right," Elijah called. "Just wait. I'll be there in a minute!" He jogged at a brisk pace and when he reached the kitchen, he came up behind Selina, reached up over her head, opened the cupboard, grabbed the sugar, and handed it to her. "There you go," he said as she turned around and took it. "Do you need anything else while I'm here?"

"I _always_ need something from you," she said, a wicked glint in her eye as she put her arms around him and pulled him close. "But as I have a graduation cake to make, it's probably not a good time."

"Why do you put the sugar up so high?" Elijah asked. "That's always puzzled me."

"Well, I do that because it gives you a chance to feel useful and heroic," Selina replied, giving him a kiss. "And I _know_ you like that. I love that you decided to wear denim today, too. You in denim is one of my favorite things, you know."

"Yes, I do," Elijah nodded and picked her up. "You have me there." He gave her another kiss, put her down on the floor, and gave her bottom a squeeze before he let her get back to her baking. The graduation itself wasn't for another couple of days, but Selina planned to do a cake she'd never done before, so she felt she needed to practice, cause she didn't want to let Amanda and Christine down by making them have a bad tasting cake. That was something that was a big no-no in her books. She got the cake made (it was tiramisu if she was gonna be precise) and then put some of it on a spoon, shoving it into Elijah's mouth without warning when he came into the kitchen for a drink.

"What do you think?" She asked. "Good? Bad? Do I need to start all over again?"

"Well, just a minute," Elijah replied. "I haven't had time to register what you put in my mouth." He paused and let himself taste it. "That's really good," he said after he swallowed. "I didn't know you were making tiramisu. May I have some more please?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. She handed him the spoon and just stood back and watched him eat, giggling to herself.

"What's so funny?" He asked, turning around to face her. He had whipped cream all over his face and a confused expression.

"Nothing," she said, bringing a napkin over and cleaning him off. "I think it's just so cute when you find food you like and just go for it."

"Well, why wouldn't I?" He asked. "It's great!"

"All right," Selina came and gave him a hug from behind. "I'll leave you two alone. If you don't finish it off, remember to put the rest in the refrigerator, okay? I'll probably bring it over to my father later if there's some left."

"All right," Elijah promised. "I'll remember to do that. But it will probably be gone."

"Good," Selina told him. "That's what it's there for anyway. When you're done, I'll be in the bedroom if you wanna work some of that off." She gave him a wink and then sauntered away. Elijah shoveled a couple more spoonfuls of tiramisu in his mouth, then put the rest in the fridge before grabbing the whipped cream and running to the bedroom where Selina sat naked on the bed. "What kept you?" She asked.

He quickly undressed and then, after running his hands over her body, sprayed a trail of whipped cream on her stomach and after he slowly licked that up, did the same with both her inner thighs. That led to him swirling his tongue around inside her and she alternated between giggling and shouting, and then, he leaned forward, kissed her, and took her in his arms as her legs wrapped around his waist and he slipped inside her.

* * *

"I know the cap and gown isn't as flattering as my prom dress was," Amanda told Viktor a few days later as he roamed around the auditorium helping students with their graduation wear. "But I still look good, right?"

"Of course," he nodded and helped her tilt her cap at a jaunty angle. "You're the prettiest graduate here."

Amanda smiled. "You know, my mom and dad said that too. But it's much more believable coming from a person who isn't my parent."

"Where _are_ your parents?" Viktor asked. "I mean, I don't have to ask if they came, because of course they did, but…"

"They're over talking to Christine," Amanda explained. "Her mom didn't come, so they're here for both of us." She then watched with interest as her Grandpa Matthew came running through the auditorium, a bouquet of roses in hand. As he passed Christine, he paused to hand her the flowers. "I thought we were supposed to be separated," she whispered in his ear. "You're not sticking to that."

"I'm giving you these as an acknowledgement of your graduation," Matthew told her. "Nothing else."

"Well, most step-grandfathers aren't that generous," Christine replied dryly. "You want Selina to get suspicious? She could be as bad as your wife when she finds out!"

"Amelia's not here," Matthew replied, a smile on his face and his voice getting a little louder. "And if I want to bring you flowers for your graduation, then I'll do it, damn it. I don't care what anybody says!"

He then leaned toward her, stopping when they were just close enough to kiss. "Should we?" He asked.

But before Christine could respond, Selina came toward them and she backed away.

"Hi, Daddy!" Selina said and gave her father a hug. "I'm glad you could come! Will you be able to come by the house after this for cake?"

"Of course!" Matthew smiled. "I wouldn't pass that up."

"Good," Selina told her and then walked away.

Then Matthew asked Christine, "So, where is your mother today? Is she here?"

"No," Christine shook her head. "I mean, I told her graduation was today, but it seems she forgot. I don't mind though. It's always stressful when she and I are in the same room anyway."

"Hmm…" Matthew frowned, his lips becoming a thin line. "We'll just have to deal with that later," he said and strode off to his seat.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Christine and Amanda got the loudest cheers and after it was all over, they both came running down the aisles with diplomas in hand to be hugged by Elijah and Viktor. Matthew had his arms out a minute to hug Christine, then reminded himself that he had to work on staying away from her, so he quickly moved them to his sides. Then, when everyone was ready to go, he took Christine's hand and told her that they were going to talk to her mother.

"Do we have to?" Christine asked.

"Yes," Matthew replied determinedly. "We do. I'm not taking 'No' for an answer."

* * *

"This is very generous of you to do," Christine tried to reassure Matthew as they drove away from the graduation ceremony while everyone else went to Selina and Elijah's for cake. "But really, I don't mind that my mother wasn't there to support me. It was probably better that she stayed away."

"I know, but…look at my daughter and my wife," Matthew told her. "Amelia didn't support Selina and look what their relationship became because of it. I don't want the same thing to happen to you."

"There's no way I can talk you out of this, is there?" Christine asked dryly.

"I'm sorry, but no," Matthew shook his head. When they reached the apartment building, Christine told Matthew that she'd rather stay in the car. Then she gave him Renee's apartment number and Matthew stomped up to it full of indignation. He knocked loudly on the door and when Renee answered, he saw that she was wearing black negligee. "I was hoping you were going to stop by," she said and pulled him inside by his tie. "What can I do for you?"

"I have to say that I'm very disappointed you skipped out on your daughter today," he told her firmly. "Don't you care at all?"

Renee chuckled. "You're such a cute little soldier, aren't you?" She asked, starting to undo his tie. "Why don't you stay and have a drink?"

"No, thank you, ma'am," Matthew shook his head and backed toward the door. "I have to go."

"Are you sure?" Renee asked. Then she pulled him to her and kissed him again.

"Now just a minute," Matthew said, pulling away. "I don't think I can do this."

"What?" Renee asked as she ran a finger down his cheek. "Are you sure? There's nothing I can do that will change your mind?"

"Well," Matthew paused. "How much alcohol do you have? I might take you up on that drink after all."

"Quite a bit," Renee smiled as Matthew stepped inside. "Are you one of those men who needs some in you to get going?"

"In this case I will," Matthew replied and opened the fridge. Several beers later, both he and Renee were laid out on the floor in various states of undress, Matthew having completely forgotten that Christine was still in the car waiting for him to come back. And because he'd forgotten to come back, Christine took it upon herself to come find him. She opened the door of the apartment and started asking Renee where Matthew was, but when she saw them both, she let out a shriek. "What the fuck is going _on_ here?!" She cried, not venturing into the apartment any farther cause she was so shocked and hurt. "Mom, what did you do to Matthew?"

"I just loosened him up a little," Renee replied as Matthew lay in her arms, gave a drunken chuckle, and kissed her on the cheek.

"Well, that's just great!" Christine cried, her voice full of irritation. "Wonderful!"

"I don't know what you're so mad about," Matthew slurred. "_You're_ the one who said that we needed to be separated and now that we are, you're all mad at me again. I just can't win, can I?"

"Frankly, I thought you could do much better, but if you wanna hang out in the gutter, that's all right with me," Christine replied. "If there was some way I could tell Amelia about this, I would, cause I think it would be a good thing for her to just rain down hell on both of you. Now if you don't mind, I'm going home! I have a graduation party to get to that will be a hell of a lot more fun than watching my mother and the guy I used to like fuck each other." She slammed the apartment door closed and ran out to the car, then locked herself in, leaned her head against the steering wheel, and cried. Then, when she was able to stop and take a breath, she drove home for cake, and when Selina asked her where Matthew had gone, she just said that he was too busy to show up.


	34. You Only Live Once

Christine drove up to Matthew's house just as he was coming out the door. "It's taken some time, but I've finally decided that I'm ready to listen to your explanation of what happened between you and my mother on graduation day," she told him.

"Thank you for giving me that chance," Matthew told her. "But it can't be now. Can you wait an hour or so? I have somewhere I need to be."

"Where?" Christine asked, getting out of the car and coming to stand next to him, her hands on her hips and her eyes narrowed. "Are you going to my mom's to have sex with her again?"

"I _am_ going to your mother's," Matthew admitted. "But not to sleep with her. To break things off. She hasn't stopped calling me ever since I made the biggest mistake of my life and I think it's time I stopped avoiding her and just told her the truth: that what we did was a big mistake and I don't feel right repeating the experience."

"Are you _really_ doing that?" Christine asked.

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "Of course."

"I wanna believe you," she told him. "But if you really are going to see my mother, I'm coming with you just to make sure things go the right way."

They headed to the car together and he opened the door of the truck for her and lifted her inside, though he didn't pause to look into her eyes as was his normal practice when he was holding her like this. He put her in the passenger seat and she pulled the door closed as he walked around to climb into the driver's side before driving off to face Renee, which was something _neither_ of them was looking forward to.

* * *

"Did you come by for another little _meeting_, Matthew?" Renee asked when she opened the door in response to Matthew and Christine's knock. "Just give me a few minutes to get into something more comfortable, and…"

"No more, Mother," Christine broke in.

"Christine, what are you doing here?" Renee asked. "If you wouldn't mind leaving, Matthew and I will be too busy to deal with you."

"No, we won't," Matthew shook his head. "Don't get me wrong, Renee. You're a very attractive woman and I'm sure there are plenty of men out there who could handle and appreciate your brand of intensity, but I'm just not one of them. I love your daughter."

"There you go saying it again," Christine replied. "When you said it the first time, I thought it was just a fluke, or you didn't mean it. That was another reason why it took me so long to call you."

"Don't worry," Matthew said, looking her straight in the eye. "And that might put you in danger from Amelia. Do you trust me to do whatever I need to in order to keep you safe from her if the occasion arises?"

"If you think it will, then yes," Christine nodded. "I trust you." Then, she frowned at her mother who was undressing in the corner. "Give it up, Mom!" She cried. "You won't be having sex right now!"

"I think we should go," Matthew told Christine, taking her hand. "Don't you?"

"Yes, please," Christine replied as he pulled her out the door and shut it behind him. Then, they just stood in the hallway and stared at each other. "What should we do now?" Christine asked at last. "You wanna…you wanna go out and get a burger or something? Or do you think it's too dangerous?"

"That depends," Matthew replied. "Would you like to live your life in fear? Or do you want to do all we can until we reach a point where Amelia is pissed off and we _really_ can't do anything anymore?"

"I think I like the second option better," Christine replied and took his hand. "And even though I feel like what you did with my mother was unfortunate, I won't hold it over your head, and will do anything I can to make you forget it ever happened, cause the fact that you have to live with the knowledge that it happened at all is more punishment than I could give you."

"Oh, bless you," Matthew replied with a smile and kissed her. They then got back in the truck and went to get burgers, and as Christine licked ketchup off her fingers, she asked Matthew, "I know that it's pretty much a given that Amelia won't take our relationship well, but what do you think _Selina_ will do? Do you think she'll be just as bad? Worse? Better?"

"I would hope that she has just enough of me in her that she handles the situation with grace," Matthew replied. "I mean, sure it won't be an easy situation because she's my daughter and your stepmother, but I see no reason why she should feel threatened. When I told her that I was planning on dating again, she expressed more worry about how _Amelia_ would react than how she would."

"Yeah, I remember," Christine nodded. "You want a French fry?"

"Sure," Matthew nodded and reached across the table for a few. "Thank you." He paused for a moment to chew, and then after he swallowed and then took a bite of his own burger. "Thank you. And honestly, I'm not too worried about how my daughter would react. I'd like to think that she has enough of my personality in her that she'd handle our relationship with grace."

"But what if she doesn't?" Christine asked. "At one point in her vampire life, she was a famous murderer, you know. Any time a guy dumped her, she would kill them. I think they called her Lonely Heart."

Matthew heard this and choked on his burger and Christine had to run around and hit his back. "My-my daughter was Lonely Heart?" He gasped.

"Yeah," Christine nodded. "I'm pretty sure she was. But you're her father. I'm sure she wouldn't kill you if you made her feel abandoned and unloved. And she has Elijah now, so even if you're in another relationship, it's not like she'll be left all alone."

"How do I do it?" Matthew asked. "How is it that I manage to attract every crazy, unbalanced person into my life?" He looked at Christine. "You don't have any crazy impulses do you? Please tell me you're an exception to the rule."

"I don't believe I'm crazy," Christine assured him. "I feel pretty normal to me. But I might take that with a grain of salt just to be sure. Look at the woman who gave birth to me."

"I had just about gotten her out of my head and back she comes," Matthew sighed.

"Sorry about that," Christine replied. "I mean it."

"We have to tell her," Matthew said, standing up.

"Tell who what?" Christine wanted to know.

"We have to tell Selina about you and me," Matthew told her. "I mean, if Amelia hasn't already, and I don't think she has. Better we tell her now and get it over with then spend all our time worrying about what she's going to say."

"All right," Christine said, although she was doubtful. "If you think that's the right thing to do, you go ahead and do it. If you don't mind, I'll stay in the car."

"Oh, of course," Matthew nodded. "That goes without saying."

* * *

"Hi, Daddy!" Selina said as Matthew came through the door and sat down at the kitchen table. "You want a drink?"

"No, thank you, darlin'," Matthew shook his head. "I just ate. I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Sure," Selina replied and sat down next to him. "What is it?"

"It's something that you probably won't want to hear, but I think you should know. You remember that I told you I was thinking about dating again?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I remember that. How's the search going? I hope you find someone nice."

"Oh, I have," Matthew nodded.

"When will I get to meet her?" Selina asked. "If you like her, I bet she's nice."

"She really is," Matthew nodded. "She also happens to be your stepdaughter. Don't hurt her for this if you're nervous. She told me about you being Lonely Heart."

Selina, who had been smiling, quickly sobered. "Excuse me? Can you say that again? It sounded like you said you and Christine were dating." She paused. "That's why you brought her the flowers for graduation, isn't it?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "I know this is awkward and I probably should have chosen someone who _wasn't_ your stepdaughter, but…I'm happy. You're happy for me, right?"

"Is she…is she good to you?" Selina wanted to know.

"Oh, yes," Matthew nodded. "Very much so."

"And do you promise that you won't forget about me now that you and Christine are together?" Selina asked and reached for his hand.

"Of course not," Matthew assured her and kissed her hair. "I'm not gonna forget about you again."

"All right," Selina nodded. "If you promise, then…I'm happy for you. It might take some time for me to get used to, but won't go Lonely Heart on Christine and I-I wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you, darlin'," Matthew replied and gave her a long hug. "I love you."

"Yeah," Selina nodded as relief swept through Matthew's body. "I love you too." Then he said, "Christine is waiting in the car so I could tell you privately. Would you mind if she came in now?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "I don't mind."

So Matthew went and got Christine, who approached Selina with caution and said, "So you know about your father and me, right? With how your mom is now, your father thought it would be good to tell you about us before you heard it from her." She paused. "So...are you okay with it?"

Selina gave her a long look and Christine prepared herself to be scolded, but then she said, "As long as my father is happy, I can't complain. Thank you for being honest with me."

"You're welcome," Christine replied.

Then Matthew drew both of them to himself and they all hugged. "I'm pretty lucky," he said.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "Christine and I are too."

* * *

"You know I love living here of course," Amanda told Viktor as they sorted her laundry (cause Viktor knew that if it was just up to her, she wouldn't do it and would just throw everything in at once). "But sometimes it still doesn't feel real, you know? Like I think my dad will come barging in at any moment and scold me for unbecoming behavior. Look at me, I'm unmarried and living with a man! How scandalous!"

"Well, you know, there _is_ a way to fix that," Viktor told her. "Especially now that you're out of school."

"Is there?" Amanda smiled. "And pray tell, what would that be?"

Viktor shrugged. "You and I could get married. You know, if you want to. But if you've already gone through enough celebration for the moment and want to wait, I understand that too…"

"No," Amanda said firmly. "Viktor, I'm ready to get married. Will you do me the honor of becoming my husband at some point?"

"All right," Viktor replied, surprised by her bluntness, but also very glad. "Of course I will."

"Yay!" Amanda cried and hugged him before calling her father to tell him the news.

"You and Viktor are _engaged_ now?" Elijah asked when it was out in the open.

"Yep," Amanda nodded. "I asked and he said 'Yes'. Please don't be mad. I waited until after graduation, just like you said."

"Yes, I know you did," Elijah replied with a sigh. "And I'm grateful you listened to my wishes. And I'm not angry. I'm just a little…a little shocked that it's finally happened. But I'm…I'm really happy for you two."

"Thank you, Daddy," Amanda replied.

"I have to go now," Elijah told her.

"Yeah," she said. "I thought you would. Goodbye, Daddy."

* * *

As soon as the phone call was over, Elijah hung up and then walked to the living room, collapsing on the sofa. He was so wrung out by Amanda's news that he didn't even berate Selina for reading in his chair with her legs dangling over the arm rest.

"Who called?" She asked. She tilted her head back and looked at him. "From the look of you, it was someone you don't like. Your mother, maybe?"

"No, it was Amanda," Elijah replied. "Apparently, she and Viktor are engaged now."

"You poor man," Selina replied and came to hug him after letting her book drop to the floor. "This is really hard for you, isn't it?"

"Yes, and I'm ashamed of myself," Elijah replied. "You handled the revelation that Christine is dating your father with much more grace."

"Yeah, _now_ I am," Selina replied. "And I hope it stays that way. But knowing my history with things like this, something could snap in me at some point. It might be just a matter of time."

"Oh, I hope not," Elijah replied. "I'd be horrified to think about what would happen if we were _both_ in pieces over things."


	35. Doing Something For Yourself

"You took the news about me and Christine pretty well," Matthew told Selina as they sat at his kitchen table drinking coffee. "I have to thank you for that. It's a nice break from your mother being so difficult."

Selina sighed. "I can see why you'd think I'd be upset, but I've been through much weirder relationships, or at least ones that are just as weird. Did you know that Damon married my daughter Lucy?"

"Your ex-husband and the father of two of your sons married your daughter by another one of your husbands?" Matthew asked, eyebrow raised. "How difficult was that?"

"_Very_," Selina replied. "It was the weirdest thing."

"That woman Damon is with is your daughter?" Called out a voice. A ghost appeared and Selina's first instinct was to flinch, but to her relief, it was Charlotte and not her mother.

"Yeah, Lucy is my daughter with another man," Selina nodded. "It's kind of a weird arrangement I know, but…"

"I think she's good for him," Charlotte replied. "It's just something of a surprise is all. I've visited them a couple of times, but I haven't made myself known yet."

"How's Mama?" Selina asked. "Still on the warpath?"

"Yes," Charlotte nodded dryly. "Unfortunately, that's a constant state for your mother and I don't seem to be able to stop it."

Selina sighed. "It's probably all about me, right? Maybe I should just talk to her. That might help things."

"Or it might not," Matthew pointed out. "You've been trying to speak to your mother and find common ground with her for years and it hasn't worked. What makes you think things will change now?"

"I don't know," Selina replied. "But it's ridiculous for her to hold on to her hurt so long, especially when being angry doesn't help anything."

"All right," Matthew nodded. "If you need any help, just give a yell."

"Good luck, Selina!" Charlotte added.

Selina headed to her father's room and sat at her mother's vanity. "Mama, we have to talk!"

"Yes, we do!" Amelia appeared and sat on the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"What do you mean 'How are you feeling'?" Selina wanted to know. "I'm fine. Why would you think otherwise?"

"Cause of that horrible woman your father is dating," Amelia replied. "If you feel like this hurts you, you can tell me and I will take care of it."

"No, I'm fine," Selina said through her teeth. "There will be no 'taking care' of anything. You already tried to kill her once. Don't try it again."

"But I was being so selfish before," Amelia replied. "Now I would be killing her for _you._"

Selina scoffed. "Mama, I don't need you to kill anyone for me, cause at least for the moment, I'm okay with how things are going. Dad's choice of girlfriend is a bit weird for me, but I want him to be happy. And if I _wanted_ to kill someone, incidentally, I am perfectly capable of doing it myself. I was known for that for almost a full decade, you know."

"Oh, my dear," Amelia replied and Selina prepared herself for another lecture. But to her surprise, Amelia just grinned wickedly and pushed some of her blonde hair out of her eyes. "It's _marvelous_ to be able to kill without having anyone tell you you can't, isn't it? So satisfying."

"Excuse me?" Selina asked, her jaw dropping a little. "You pulled me through the wringer when I was _five years old_ for merely _injuring _a man in self-defense. And now you're pro-murder? What the fuck is going on?"

"Language dear," Amelia snapped. "I may have no problem with you murdering, but that's no excuse to curse like a sailor. Where did you learn to speak like that? Your cousins? I always wondered if I should have kept you away from those boys."

"It wasn't them, actually," Selina confessed. "It was Damon, who, coincidentally, also taught me how to drink."

"Why am I not surprised by this?" Amelia sighed.

"Let's just cut to the chase," Selina got out. "Why are you still here? If it's to take care of me, I don't need to be taken care of. And if it's because you're worried about Daddy, you're doing a terrible job of showing it."

"I'm here to get what I deserve," Amelia replied firmly. "Time with my husband that I was denied when I was alive."

"That means you're never gonna leave, doesn't it?" Selina asked. "And that any chance Daddy has of achieving happiness outside of you is not gonna happen?"

"I don't understand why he needs to be with anyone else," Amelia huffed. "He was happy with me once. Why can't it be just as it was?"

"Cause things change," Selina replied. "And no matter how horrible or unfair they might be, we have to move on from them cause dwelling doesn't help. All dwelling did for you is turn you into a depressed, suicidal drunk, and that was _not _pretty." She stopped to take a breath, but then found that she couldn't breathe. She turned toward the mirror and began hitting the table and making signs to indicate that she wanted help, but Amelia just sat there. "You really shouldn't talk to your mother that way," she said, her eyes narrowed.

Finally, she eased up enough that Selina was able to sputter out an apology before the bedroom door kicked open with such force and noise that Amelia disappeared. Matthew came running in as Selina stood by the dressing table and coughed.

"Are you all right?" Matthew asked her. "Did I wait too long to come get you?"

"No, I'm fine," Selina said and coughed again. "But I talked with Mama and it seems like your relationship with Christine or anyone else will have to be done at your own risk because Mama is _not_ going anywhere."

"Wonderful," Matthew sighed. "Just great. But you know what? I'm not gonna let her get to me. I'm gonna do what _I_ want. I'm sorry your mother is dead. I'm sorry your mother is unhappy, but I can't do anything about that. All I can do is live my life, and that's what I'm going to do."

"You going to see Christine?" Selina called after him as he headed away from the bedroom.

"Yes," Matthew called after her. "I am."

* * *

"You're being really brave," Christine told Matthew when she opened the door and put her arms around him. "Despite both your wife and daughter knowing about us, you keep coming back."

"Well, Selina, as you saw, seems to care more about my happiness than any discomfort she might be feeling, and as for Amelia…I'm past the point where I care about what she says. Now, of course, if you feel like being with me puts you in too much danger, feel free to tell me now and we'll separate," Matthew promised her.

"No, I'm fine," Christine assured him and gave him a kiss. "I've had many talks with my friend Eva and she says that because my father is one of the first vampires ever, I'm much harder to kill than you might think. In fact, I can't even truly be killed. So Amelia can hurt me, but that's all she can do, and even then, I'll heal soon after."

"Wait, you're a vampire too?" Matthew asked. "How could I miss that? I shouldn't have. But I did. Well, damn, this eases my mind very much."

"Does it?" Christine asked. "Good. But I wanna test it, just to be sure."

"Excuse me?" Matthew asked as he turned back to the house, watched her zip inside, and then before he knew he, he saw her standing on the upper floor balcony. She gave him a wave and then, to his horror, did a swan dive and sped toward the ground. Feeling his stomach fall, he sped toward her and caught her just before she hit the ground. Her eyes were shut tight and as she opened them and looked up into his terrified face, she said up and frowned.

"Thanks for playing the hero," she said, trying not to be too mad at him. "But I just…I wanted to see if it was true that I could do stuff that would kill a normal person and not die. Don't stop me this time, please."

"So I'm just supposed to watch you kill yourself?" Matthew asked.

"I'm not dying permanently," Christine replied. "Just for a little while." She made her way up to the balcony again and jumped and although it took every fiber of his being not to go and catch her again, Matthew just watched her fall until she ended up twisted and still on the ground below. After he got over the shock, he approached her body, got down next to it and tried not to cry. But just as he put a hand on her arm, she shot upward, very much alive, and he leaned back, his eyes wide.

"Well, what do you know?" She said and dusted herself off. "I'm a little messy, but I'm not dead."

"You were," Matthew told her. "No need to put me through that again."

"Oh, I won't," Christine assured him and gave him a kiss. "At least not on purpose. But doesn't it make you feel better to know that I'll recover from whatever your wife tries to throw at us in order to separate us?"

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "I guess."

"I'm sorry I scared you," Christine apologized, kissing her and pulling her to him in a tight hug. "You wanna go and have a drink?"

"Yes, please," Matthew nodded as she led him inside of the house. "A big one."

* * *

"Do you really think we should be seeing your father?" Viktor asked Amanda as they strode up to Elijah and Selina's front door. "What if we just make things worse for him?"

"No, staying away now that I'm engaged would be worse for him," Amanda corrected. She took out her key and stuck it in the front door, then opened it and called out as they went inside so no one would mistake her for a burglar.

"I'm glad you're here," Selina said, approaching them and giving Amanda a hug.

"Has Daddy lost his mind?" Amanda asked. "Does he need to see me?"

"He's improved slightly from when you first told him, but a little one-on-one time with you wouldn't hurt," Selina told her. So while Viktor stayed out with her mother, Amanda ventured to her father's office and knocked on the door.

"Daddy," she called, "It's Amanda. Can I come in?" She kept her hand on the doorknob, which was a big mistake, as the next minute, her father eagerly pulled the door open from the other side, and practically dislocated her shoulder from its socket as she ended up sprawled out on the floor.

"Oh, darling, I'm so sorry!" Elijah cried, picking her up and hugging her. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's okay," Amanda promised him. "I'm fine. The question is, are you?"

"No, I'm not yet," Elijah admitted. "Can't you tell?"

"What can I do to help you with that short of breaking off my engagement to Viktor and moving back here?" Amanda asked.

"That's the thing," Elijah told her. "I don't want you to do that. I want you to be happy and get married. But the house is so empty without you, and I have this terrible fear that once you're married, you're just going to forget your father." He gave her a sad puppy dog look and she hugged him tight. "I won't forget about you!" She said. "I promise. And there's so much time before I leave here. Viktor and I don't even have a wedding date set. But there's no hurry. I mean, we won't wait forever, of course, but it's not like we'll be getting married tomorrow. We'll give you plenty of time to adjust."

"Thank you," Elijah told her. "Did you come here on your own? Cause if you did, I wonder if you'd be willing to make a quick run to the museum with me? There are so many fascinating new exhibits!"

"I came with Viktor," Amanda told him. His face fell, but he cheered up when Amanda returned from talking with Viktor and told him that she'd be more than happy to go to the museum for as long as he wanted while Viktor did things at home.

* * *

Even after Amanda's visit, Elijah still was in a mopey mood. Selina was glad school was out because being as inactive as he was would have been very inconvenient for her husband during the school year.

"Hey, I have an idea for something that might cheer you up!" She said as she stood over his bed one day. "Why don't we go shopping and buy me a bunch of pretty things? I know you love doing that!"

"No," Elijah replied and pulled the covers over his head. "Cause you don't really want to. You're just trying to make me feel better."

"And what's so bad about that?" Selina wanted to know as she uncovered him and grabbed his arm. "Come on, please? We haven't seen Armand in ages and I bet he misses us!"

Armand was Elijah's personal jeweler. Selina had gotten a call from him a few days prior with the message that he'd gotten in a new necklace and earring set made that she would love, and she wanted it.

"Okay," Elijah replied and sat up. "I guess we could go if you want to."

"Good!" Selina replied. "You're sitting up! This is progress. Next, a shower."

"Ugh," Elijah groaned. "I'm only going if you help."

"Okay," Selina assured him as she pushed him toward the bathroom. "Whatever." She got him inside, turned the shower on and washed his body and his hair without much help from him, except for when he groaned as he realized this was more of a business shower than a long and leisurely one. She then helped him dress and then ordered him to dry his hair.

"You have to snap out of this!" She told him. "I'm no good at being the mature one long term! That's _your_ job!"

"Selina for heaven's sake, be a little more understanding, would you?" Elijah asked. "Our last little girl that we have for the moment is getting married soon! She'll forget all about us and not come back!"

"No, she won't," Selina replied. "You're letting your fears make you think ridiculous things that aren't true."

As they agreed to disagree, Elijah finally dried his hair and then they got out to the car and battled about who would drive.

"I'm doing it!" Selina cried as she tried to wrest the keys from Elijah's grip. "You're not stable at the moment!"

"But it's _my_ car, so I should drive!" Elijah shouted back. Finally, he overpowered her and got in the driver's seat while she sat resentfully in the back, waiting for them to crash and have a lot to explain to the officers who would come to check the wreck out.

They got to the jewelry store and although Selina _did_ get the necklace and earrings that she wanted so badly, she paid for them herself and the rest of the time was spent at Elijah's tailor where he reveled in looking over fabrics that Selina thought resembled bad seventies wallpaper that would be made into new suits for him, and then to the store to get him a new watch, and then finally, a new car. Much to Selina's chagrin, he traded in the one they'd drove in with the complaint that he'd not liked it very much. As they drove away in his new black Bentley (with the Porsche Spyder in blue that he'd ordered for Selina to come in a few days) Elijah seemed in much better spirits.

"Retail therapy really does wonders for a person," Elijah remarked. "At least it always seemed so for you, so I thought I would give it a shot."

"Thank you for the car," Selina told him. "And are you feeling better now, or is this just the beginning of a shopping binge I'm going to have to get you help for?"

"No, I'm fine now," Elijah told her. "I promise."

"Good," Selina nodded. "I'm very relieved to hear that."


	36. Learning How To Deal

Amanda and Viktor were just sitting next to each other in silence on the sofa when all of a sudden, a wild knocking and banging began, making Amanda shoot upright as she was about to drift off to sleep.

"Who in the world do you think that is?" Viktor wanted to know as they both got up and headed toward the door.

"I don't know who it is," Amanda replied. "Probably someone related to me. I hope it's not my dad."

"It's not your dad!" A voice yelled from the other side of the door. "It's me, Rosalie!"

"Rosalie?!" Amanda called out and quickly opened the door.

"Would you like me to tacitly excuse myself so you two can talk to each other without me?" Viktor asked.

"If you're scared she'll judge you for being with me when you were my teacher, she won't."

"Yeah, I won't, even though I'm still getting used to the fact that Amanda's living with a teacher," Rosalie told him, then quickly grabbed Amanda's hand and brought her to a sofa. "When were you gonna tell me you're engaged?"

"I was at some point!" Amanda told her. "I swear! How'd you hear about it?"

"Your mom told my mom," Rosalie said simply. "Apparently your dad is still working on dealing with it and she needed some time away from him. Poor man."

"It's really nothing new," Amanda told her. "He's felt that way with all my sisters. I just get the longest period of mourning cause I'm the last one." She paused. "I mean, _for now_ I'm the last one. No doubt others will come along at some point."

"Do you think it would help if _I_ talked to your father?" Viktor asked. "Or do you think we should just leave him alone and let him do what he will?"

"I think that sending you over to see him now could be a bad idea," Amanda replied. "Let's just leave it alone and I'm sure things will get better."

"All right," Viktor nodded. "That's good to know."

Rosalie looked back and forth between them and shook her head. "This is just so _odd_, but it works."

"Glad you think so," Amanda told her. "So what's going on in _your_ life?"

"Well, Aaron and I are a couple now," Rosalie told her. "And I finally had to tell him that my dad killed his mom."

"And you're still a couple after that?" Amanda asked in amazement.

"Yeah," Rosalie nodded. "He even asked me to give hm some of my blood the other day.

"Well, in a way that's good, isn't it?" Amanda asked. "He's accepting that part of you."

"I suppose," Rosalie nodded, then swung back to the subject of Viktor and Amanda's wedding. "Am I gonna be a bridesmaid?"

"You don't have to be if you don't want to," Amanda assured her quickly. "I've always gotten the impression that it's not really your thing."

"No, I would be glad to be in your wedding if you want me there," Rosalie assured her.

"All right," Amanda nodded, making a note _not_ to put the bridesmaids in really poofy, pastel-colored dresses. "I'm glad to know you're coming. It makes me feel more relaxed already." She paused. "Now, did you inherit your mother's ability to plan things, or was it just Vivi that got that?"

"I can plan," Rosalie assured her. "Don't worry. You'll be fine."

"You're lucky to have such a good friend," Viktor observed.

"Yeah," Amanda nodded and leaned over to give Rosalie a hug. "I am."

* * *

"How do you do it?" Elijah asked Matthew as Christine brought him some water. "You didn't get a lot of time with Selina. How do you not look at me and see me as the person who's stealing your daughter away?"

"Well, naturally I don't feel like I need to miss her since she comes to see me frequently," Matthew told him. He then studied Elijah. "You have the same fears she does, don't you?" He asked. "That people are going to leave you and not come back?"

"I suppose," Elijah nodded. "Although you'd think I would be used to it after a thousand years, wouldn't you?"

"I don't know," Matthew shrugged. "It's not up to me to judge."

Elijah's jaw dropped a little. "Do you have a single flaw _at all_?" He asked.

"I _did_ needlessly leave my daughter and wife alone for several years after I became a vampire and it messed 'em up real bad," Matthew reminded him. "That's a pretty big flaw. But back to you, just…just trust that Amanda will stay in your life. I know it's hard to do, but you'll help yourself a lot in the long run."

"Yeah," Elijah nodded and took a drink. "Right. I've managed it with the other girls. Even Laura, and that was _really _hard. So I don't know why it's so hard this time when I've always managed before. Maybe it's cause Amanda's gonna be the last one in who knows how long that I raised from babyhood."

"You still have me, Dad," Christine blurted out. Elijah turned and gave her a look. "Did you just call me 'Dad'?"

"Yeah, I did, sorry," Christine nodded. "You're more of a 'Father' person, aren't you?"

Elijah shrugged. "You can call me whatever you like. It doesn't matter."

"Well, good," Christine replied, still shocked about what had just slipped out of her mouth. That and how natural it had actually felt. Even though they'd only known each other as parent and child for a short time, he'd been more of a parent to her than her mother had ever been.

They stared at each other for a while, and then Christine reached out to give him a hug and just held on for a little bit, while Matthew looked between the two of them and said, "Well isn't this nice?"

Then they talked a little more and Elijah left feeling much better about Viktor and Amanda's upcoming wedding.

* * *

"Amanda is getting married," Selina told Amy as Amy let her into her house. "Elijah's having trouble dealing with it, but I've done all I could to help him with the big stuff and nothing's really worked yet. Maybe Laura or someone will do a better job than I'm doing. I hope so."

"You know, sometimes, that's all you can do," Amy nodded. "You work and you work and it just comes out as nothing." She then flushed a little. "But don't listen to me. I'm just being silly."

"I don't think you are, but I won't press the issue unless you want me to," Selina replied. She then leaned against the sofa and took a breath before saying to Amy, "You wanna try out my new car? It's really fancy."

"You got a new car?" Amy asked. "When did that happen?"

"A few days ago," Selina replied. "It was part of Elijah's retail therapy. I didn't feel I needed it, but you know, I thought he would only get better if I accepted it, so…I did."

They got up to head to the door and then Amy said, "Just a minute," and then ran downstairs.

"Klaus," she told her husband who was sitting in one of his big leather chairs and watching TV. "Selina and I are going out. I don't know when we'll be coming back."

"All right," Klaus told her. "Have a good time." She then went upstairs and she and Selina left to put the pedal to the metal.

They drove around in Selina's car as fast as they dared (out of respect for Amy, Selina didn't go fast enough for them to get stopped by any policemen), grabbed a couple of coffees, and then headed back home where they talked a little more.

Then, once Selina was gone, Amy went back to her normal life, doing laundry. She had a load of jeans to do and as she put them in, a piece of paper fell out of the back pockets of one of Klaus' pairs. Amy picked it up and unfolded it, seeing a number, and the name "Renee". With a sigh, she thought to herself about how to approach this. She had to talk to him. She couldn't just let it go. But she didn't plan on yelling. They were growing apart and it was natural that he would get another woman's phone number. She was probably someone he met at the bar. Amy couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. That put her in the clear, and made her feel a lot less guilty about wanting to leave him.


	37. It Takes Two

"You seem much better," Selina remarked to Elijah as they lay in bed one morning. She smiled at him, put her arms around him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "What changed?"

"Christine's calling me 'Dad' now," Elijah replied brightly. "That just…it really made me feel better."

"Well, that's good," Selina told him. "I'm really happy for you. You cheered up just in time."

"What do you mean?" Elijah wanted to know.

"Well, it's a full moon tonight!" Selina informed him. "And it wouldn't have been any fun going out by myself while you were in the basement moping."

"I wouldn't have done that," Elijah insisted. "I would have come with you."

"But would you have been as fun?" Selina asked. "Admit it. You wouldn't have."

"All right, I wouldn't have," Elijah confessed. "But that's not something we have to worry about now, is it?"

"No," Selina shook her head as Elijah took her in his arms and gave her a kiss. "It definitely isn't."

When they pulled apart, she took his hand and they headed to the kitchen to get coffee. And although Elijah at first found the silence of the house a bit disconcerting, he soon began to enjoy it.

Selina was obviously thinking the same thing cause she smiled at him and said, "It feels nice here, doesn't it? All quiet with no one wanting our attention every five minutes?"

"I suppose that I _do_ enjoy the tranquility," Elijah admitted. "But what are we going to do with ourselves until tonight? We can't spend the day in bed, or else what would we do tonight?"

"Well, I honestly think that if we wanted to, we could stay in bed 'til doomsday," Selina told him. "But I agree that we should probably go out and see people or something so we're not just completely wrapped up in ourselves."

"All right," Elijah nodded. "But what do you suggest we do? Do you think we should go visit someone?"

"We could," Selina agreed. "But not Amanda."

"No, of course not," Elijah agreed. "I'm sure they've seen enough of me for quite some time."

"But," Selina reached up to play with his hair. "You're looking a bit shaggy. Why don't we go see Laura about your ends and have her trim them up a bit?"

"I think that's a good idea," Elijah agreed. "I haven't seen Laura in some time. I hope she doesn't feel ignored."

"And after that, we can have lunch and go to a movie or something," Selina suggested. "I know that learning how to live our lives without our kids is a difficult thing to think about, but I really think it's a good idea."

"Oh, I do as well," Elijah nodded. "You don't think I'm ignoring you or that I don't value you, do you?"

"Of course not!" Selina told him. "I know that you grew up in a family that was really big, so learning how to live in a house with just two people is a new skill for you. I understand. Take as long as you need and if I feel ignored, I'll mention it."

"All right," Elijah nodded. "Be sure you do, please."

So Selina grabbed her keys, held them up as they jingled, and then asked, "Are we still gonna go see Laura?"

"Sure," Elijah nodded. "I think we are."

* * *

"Daddy! Mom!" Laura cried out and hugged both her parents when she opened the door to their knock. Her smile was wide and she looked overjoyed, which made Elijah feel kind of guilty. "I'm sorry we haven't visited in so long," he apologized. "I hope you haven't missed us too much."

"I _did _miss you," Laura told him. "But I assumed you were busy and it didn't bother me. So what's going on?"

"Well, your sister Amanda is engaged, and I found out that my father is dating my stepdaughter," Selina replied. "That just about sums it up."

"And if he and Christine get married, he'll be both my father in law _and_ my son in law," Elijah mused.

Selina shivered. "Please don't talk about that," she begged. "I'm still processing the fact that Daddy and Amanda are _dating._ The thought of them getting married is just too much for the moment."

"Right," Elijah nodded. "I understand." Then he looked at his daughter. "Anything interesting going on with you?"

"Well, Elizabeth and Charlie have been talking to Gregory about possibly adopting a little boy from one of the women at his shelter. It's not a definite plan yet, but it's something that's been discussed."

"And how has Katherine reacted to that?" Selina wanted to know.

"You can ask her yourself," Laura said. "She's downstairs waiting on the phones like usual."

"And I have a question," Elijah told his daughter. "Do you think I need a trim?"

"Maybe just a little one," Laura replied, eying him a little. "Come downstairs with me."

"I'm coming too," Selina said. "If you and Katherine are gonna be together in the basement, there's no _way_ I'm staying upstairs."

They went to the basement and, seeing that the chair was empty, Elijah sat in it while Laura got out her tools.

"What a pleasant surprise to have you in for a walk-in, Elijah," Katherine remarked. Then she looked at Selina. "After she's done with him, you might ask her to do you as well. You have several split ends. How you left the house looking like that, I have no idea."

To Elijah's surprise, Selina ignored this attempt to goad her, saying simply, "I've been dealing with my mom's ghost lately, so frankly, your attempts to goad me into violence really need some work."

Katherine then sank back into her chair and didn't say another word as Laura cut Elijah's hair. They went upstairs and talked a little longer after that, and then, after giving Laura a hug and promising to visit again soon (especially if Laura had more news on Elizabeth and Charlie's potential child), they went on their way, stopped for a leisurely lunch, and then spent the rest of the day driving around with each other, went to see a movie, and then headed back home to rest in bed with each other so they'd be fully charged for what would happen that night.

* * *

"I'm going out with some friends tonight," Christine told Matthew an hour or so before sundown. "You can come if you want, but you don't have to."

"Oh, thank you," Matthew replied. "But don't feel like I need to be included in everything in your life."

"Actually, my friends would be really interested to meet you," Christine told him. "I'm going to Roxie's cause it's full moon night and on full moon nights, all the werewolves who aren't the type to hold the change back meet at Roxie's to transform and then go out and do their business."

"But you said you weren't active," Matthew remarked.

"I'm not," Christine shook her head. "But that doesn't mean I'm not allowed to go. So…do you wanna come? I mean, I understand if you don't, but…"

"Would I be welcome?" Matthew asked. "I mean, of course I've gone to Roxie's before, I believe, cause she's my granddaughter and everything, but…do you really think your friends will approve of me?"

"Yes!" Christine nodded. "Especially the female ones. Cause you've got the gift. The sort of calm and good personality that draws werewolves to you."

"Well, as long as you're sure I'd be welcome, I'd love to come tonight," Matthew told her.

"All right, great!" Christine smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for coming with me. That makes me so happy!"

"I actually love this place," Matthew remarked as he and Christine parked in the bar parking lot and he helped her out of the truck. "It's one of the few places where I feel I can be myself."

"Really?" Christine remarked. "I mean, I shouldn't be surprised, but I sort of am. I thought you were always too rich to hang out a bar with the masses."

"I think that would have been the image my father preferred I project," Matthew told her. "But honestly, I've always been very low maintenance. I just like simple things. Like horses and hunting and good cooking. And to have good friends around. That's nice too."

"Well, then this will be the place for you for sure!" Christine smiled as they headed into the bar.

Matthew was wearing jeans, boots, and a plaid shirt, and to Christine's surprise, the bouncers greeted him by name. "Nice to see you again, Matthew," one said. "Have a good time tonight."

"I will, Bud," Matthew replied to the burly, balding man. "Thank you very much."

"Is it because your granddaughter owns this place that they know you?" Christine asked when they got inside.

"Yep," Matthew nodded as he approached the bar. "It is."

He then asked Vince, who was tending the bar (as he would be one of the few not transforming that night) for a drink.

"Usual whiskey?" Vince replied knowingly before Matthew could ask. "Glass or bottle?"

"One glass at a time," Matthew told him, pushing his shaggy dark hair out of his eyes. "Please."

Vince nodded and then looked at Christine. "And what will _you _have?"

"I don't feel like drinking tonight," She said. "Can I have one of the Pepsis from the cooler?"

Vince nodded. "Coming right up," he said reaching under the bar where all the juice, soda, and water was, and plunking a cold can of Pepsi down in front of her, then pouring it in a glass with ice.

Christine thanked him and then turned away from the bar. She and Matthew sat and chatted, and then, as it got dark, all the active werewolves in the place (including Roxie, who rushed by and gave Christine and Matthew a quick 'Hello') left the bar, and then a chill ran down Matthew's spine as he heard a howl sound. He downed the rest of what was in his glass and then set it down so Vince could pour him some more.

"Kind of eerie, isn't it?" Vince remarked.

"Yes," Matthew nodded as he took his glass back. "Yes, it is."

"But kind of beautiful too, in a way," Christine added. "My dad was active before he died and when he would go out to change, I would sit on the deck and listen to him howl. I never thought it was scary. I found it comforting."

They sat in silence for a few seconds and then Matthew asked Vince, "When does everyone usually come back?"

"It depends," Vince replied. "Sometimes they come back right after they're people again, but sometimes, it could take as long as tomorrow morning for some to return."

"Don't worry, I won't make you stay here until tomorrow morning," Christine told him.

They were involved in a game of pool when everyone started trooping back in, asked for one more drink, and then some took rooms upstairs while others grabbed their car keys and headed out.

"You wanna leave too?" Christine asked Matthew. "It's past midnight."

"Yeah," Matthew nodded with a yawn. "I think, despite all the fun I've had tonight, that would be a good idea."

He dropped Christine off at her house and then accepted her offer to spend the night on the couch cause he felt too tired to drive. He had just enough energy to call Selina (who answered in a very groggy voice and assured him she made it through the night okay, and that she and Elijah had had quite an evening) before he got on the sofa, and Christine put a blanket over him and kissed him goodnight before going up to bed herself.

* * *

"What do you want to do about an engagement ring?" Viktor asked Amanda. "Don't worry. I _am_ aware that I haven't given you one yet."

"Well, to be totally honest, I'm kind of glad you haven't," Amanda replied. "Cause it shouldn't surprise you that traditional rings aren't really my thing."

"I figured as much," Viktor nodded. "I mean, I have my mother's diamond ring that my wife left with me after she decided she didn't want to be married to me anymore, but I would feel terrible giving that to you. It's tainted."

"Do you actually have it, or does Alexandra still have it?" Amanda wanted to know.

"Oh, I have it," Viktor assured her. "Alexandra gave it back after, you know, she was attacked and everything. That's two failed marriages that ring has been a part of."

"Well, then, let's get something new," Amanda suggested. "I don't think I even want a ring. What about a bracelet?"

"That would be different," Viktor remarked, not feeling surprised at all. "And if that's what you want, I'll get it for you."

"Oh, don't be silly," Amanda replied. "At least let me pay for half. Please. I insist."

"That's very sweet of you," Viktor smiled. "But really, I want to do this for you."

"All right," Amanda conceded. "I'll let you buy my engagement jewelry. That's very sweet of you. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Viktor told her.

And although Amanda had thought that he would be buying her something, he took her to his house and led her up to the attic where his mother's vast collection of jewelry was kept.

"I know I said I'd buy you something," he said as he turned on the light. "But my mother had such an array of jewelry that she'd accumulated over the years that I thought I'd at least show it to you before we headed to the store."

"Thank you for trusting me with something as valuable as your mother's jewelry," Amanda told him. "I appreciate it."

"It's not a problem, really," Viktor smiled at her. "Now, Mother was a really efficient organizer, so all the boxes that contain jewelry with a particular stone have been grouped together. Did you have a particular stone in mind?"

"How many boxes of jewelry does your mom have?" Amanda asked. "Where did it all come from? And no, I don't have a particular stone in mind. I think I'll just look around until I find something that speaks to me."

"Mother came from money," Viktor replied. "She bought most of her jewelry or got it as presents for various holidays, which was why her family didn't get hold of it all after she was disowned for marrying below her station. And before you ask, Astrid's already got what she wants, so you can pick anything you want."

"Really?" Amanda asked as she looked through the boxes. "Good, cause I _was_ thinking about asking you that. And may I say that your mother had very good taste?" Eventually, she found a white gold bracelet of alternating diamonds and amethyst. "I like this," she said, putting it on her wrist and holding it out for Viktor to see. "And it fits perfectly."

"That was one of Mother's favorite pieces," Viktor replied fondly. "It's almost like you were meant to have it." He smiled and took her in his arms. "I can't wait to be married."

"Yeah," Amanda kissed him before getting up to explore the attic some more with Viktor trailing behind her. "Me neither."


	38. Another Spector Of The Past

Christine was at Matthew's reading a book when all of a sudden, the front door of the house opened. Assuming it was Matthew, she put his book down and called out to him, asking if things had gone all right with the deal to buy a new horse. But she saw no one and then let out a cry and threw her book away when another spirit appeared on the sofa next to her.

"Oh, my god!" She cried, although this spirit, a man who looked a lot like Matthew but carried himself with more ease and had dark hair and dark eyes, didn't look scary at all. "Please don't hurt me. Amelia's already giving me trouble!"

The ghost sighed. "Don't mind her. She has no patience for anyone except my brother. She made that clear when I made the mistake of proposing marriage to her, among other things. I'm Andrew Warren, Matthew's brother. You're Christine, right? I've spied a little lately. I'm sorry."

"Andrew Warren?" Christine got up and came closer to him. "Matthew hasn't mentioned a brother yet."

"Well, here I am!" He said. "I've been keeping the Witch at bay."

"You mean, I haven't seen much of Amelia because of you?" Christine asked. "Well, thank you! I wish I could shake your hand!"

"I thought I'd show myself when Matthew wasn't around," Andrew replied. "Just in case he got the wrong idea about why I'm here."

Just then, Matthew strode through the open door and gave his brother a look. "I see you've met my brother," he remarked to Christine. "I hope he's not bothering you."

"No," Christine shook her head. "He was just…welcoming me to the family."

"Good," Matthew replied and kissed her hair. "I wouldn't want you scared off before we had a chance to do anything."

"Oh, please," Christine chuckled at that remark. "If Amelia, with all that she's done, hasn't scared me off, _nothing_ will."

"I like her," Andrew remarked to his brother. "I think she'll be good for you, Matt."

"Yeah," Matthew nodded, coming to sit beside Christine on the couch and take her in his arms. "She's already doing me so much good."

"So…how did the sale of the horse go?" Christine asked. "Did you get it?"

"Yes, I did!" Matthew nodded. "It won't be coming for a while, but I got it. I hope you like it."

Christine smiled and shook her head. "I can't believe you bought me a horse. It was really sweet of you to do, but you didn't have to."

"I know," Matthew nodded. "But I _wanted _to. It's my pleasure."

"Is he for real?" Christine asked Andrew.

"I've asked myself that question for years," Andrew replied. "And I _still_ haven't found a satisfactory answer." Then he said, "So, where's my niece? I know she's still around."

"She's probably at home," Matthew replied. "But I'm sure that if I told her you were here, she'd come right over. You took good care of her when you were alive, didn't you?"

"As much as your crazy wife would let me, I tried," Andrew confirmed. "Although dealing with her wasn't so easy, no matter how much I liked her."

"_You_ liked her?" Christine's eyes widened. "But I thought she was _Matthew's_ wife?!"

Andrew nodded. "Of course she was. She was _much_ too good for a second son like me, no matter how successful I was. All that mattered to her was the money. Although, I wonder sometimes if her family hadn't been so harsh with her and let her just feel things, could we have had a chance? I think one of the reasons why she disliked me so much was cause I made her feel things that her parents told her were bad, you know? Real anger, frustration, and, dare I say, lust."

"_You and Amelia_?" Matthew asked, his jaw dropping a little. "Well, this is news to me."

"What do you think she did after you disappeared?" Andrew asked. "I mean, she tried to stay the grieving widow or keep me at a distance by marrying that monster Robert Pierce, but that didn't always work, much to her dismay. And it made her so mad that when Selina was around five or so…that's when I stopped seeing her often. I mean, sure Amelia would bring her around for holidays and such, but only showing the level of civility that good manners and breeding dictated with no sincere feeling underneath."

Meanwhile, Charlotte and Amelia could clearly hear him from the bedroom. "That fool, that scoundrel, that roue, that cad!" Amelia cried as the chandelier above the bed began to swing violently. "I can't believe he has the nerve to show his face in my house!"

"You just don't like anyone, do you?" Charlotte asked. "I thought you and Andrew were quite close before you and Matthew married."

"We were," Amelia nodded. "But then he made me…feel things. And I couldn't let myself be attracted to a man like that!"

"I think the lady doth protest too much," Charlotte smiled. "I told you before you and Matthew got married that I didn't think you were making the right choice."

"And as I told you then, I think you're wrong," Amelia said firmly. "If I would have married Andrew, I would have let all my base instincts get the better of me, and that wouldn't have been good. Daddy would have been _very_ unhappy."

"Yes, but what about _you_?" Charlotte asked. "Amelia, how would _you_ have felt?"

"What would it have mattered how I felt?" Amelia asked stubbornly. "If I had just let myself do what _I_ wanted, things would have been miserable at home. Daddy would have disinherited me. He let me marry Matthew cause Matthew was safe. I made the right choice."

It was then that Charlotte sighed and disappeared while Amelia stayed sulking in her bedroom, wanting so badly to confront Andrew, but knowing that it wouldn't end well for her.

* * *

"Daddy wants me to come over," Selina sighed as she put the phone down. "Probably wants to make some peace between me and Mama."

"Sorry about that," Elijah apologized and gave her a hug. "Would you like me to come with you?"

"Yeah," Selina nodded and squeezed his hand. "That would be nice." So they drove to Matthew's and Elijah again looked the simple house over in amazement that someone as wealthy as Selina's father wouldn't want to take advantage of it.

When they shut the door behind them, Selina cried out.

"What?" Elijah asked, seeing no one but Christine and Matthew sitting in the living room. "Are you okay, darling? What's the matter?"

"My uncle is here!" She cried as she jumped up and down! "Uncle Andrew, I'm so happy to see you!" She ran toward him eagerly, wanting so badly to embrace him, but forgetting he was a ghost, so instead of hugging a solid man, she missed him, and then smashed into the wall before she could stop herself.

"Are you okay?" Elijah asked, coming to help her up. "Why don't you sit down? That bump on your head will probably make you have more hallucinations."

"It's not a hallucination," Selina said patiently. "It's my uncle. You just don't see him because he doesn't have a reason to show himself to you."

Then, Matthew made a strange face and soon he was coming toward Selina and smiling. "Sorry about the bump, dear," he said, his voice sounding somewhat different. "I didn't know you were going for a hug. Your mother giving you trouble?"

"Is the sky blue?" Selina asked dryly.

"Don't worry, Lina," he told her. "Uncle Andrew's here for you. I might have lost all my children, but I got a new chance with you and won't let you down."

Selina nodded. "Thank you," she told him. "Now, would you mind vacating my father? This is a bit weird."

"Okay," Andrew replied and left Matthew's body so that he fell on the sofa and Christine caught him.

When Andrew had re-materialized, he strode over to Elijah and studied him. "Who in the world are you?" He asked.

"Uncle Andrew, this is my husband, Elijah," Selina told him. "And Elijah, this is Daddy's younger brother, Andrew."

"Hello," Elijah said, although he still couldn't believe he was talking to yet another ghost.

Andrew, meanwhile, was too stunned to return the greeting.

"I remember the sort of men Lina was after when she was alive," he told Matthew, his dark eyes full of confusion. "Is this a joke? The man is wearing a suit!"

"It's not a joke," Matthew told him firmly. "And I, for one, am glad it's not. I think she made a good choice."

They talked a little longer, and when they finally left, Elijah was glad.

"I don't think your uncle likes me very much," he said as they drove home. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you didn't," Selina assured him. "He's just a bit more like Klaus than you. Kinda rebels against the establishment and is wild. That's why Mama didn't like him so much. Give him time to get used to you, and it will be all right."

"How much time do I need to give him?" Elijah asked. "What's with all these relatives of yours suddenly coming back from the great beyond?"

"I don't know," Selina replied. "Probably some sort of unfinished business is keeping them here, just like in the movies." Then she giggled. "Wouldn't it be funny if their unfinished business was each other?"

Elijah couldn't see strait-laced Amelia having any interest in Selina's uncle who, even though he dressed nice, had facial hair that wasn't neat, and hair that was a bit too unruly. But then again…he looked at Selina, who, especially when they had met in the twenties was not the sort of person he pictured himself spending five minutes with, much less an eternity. And now she was his wife, and was sharing his bed, and was the mother of their eight children. So anything could happen, he guessed. Even for Amelia and Andrew.

* * *

When they reached home, Selina offered to put on a movie and make popcorn.

"I'll put on the movie," Elijah offered. "I don't want you to have to do both things." He went to his movie collection and pulled out the first _Godfather_ movie. He put it on and he and Selina watched it for a bit in the dark until, to Selina's surprise, Elijah threw some popcorn at her.

"Excuse me," she said, turning on a light and giving him her most serious face. "Did you just throw some popcorn at me?"

"Yes, I did," Elijah grinned. "What will you do about it?"

Selina then grabbed a whole handful and tossed it at him. Some pieces went down his shirt and others left tracks of butter on it. She then breathed heavily as she waited to see what he would do next. He got up, took off his jacket and shirt, and then, as the sound of gunshots rang out from the TV, Selina and Elijah threw popcorn at each other until the bowl was empty and popcorn was all over the floor.

"You want me to start picking this up?" Selina asked, starting to get on her knees on the floor and pick up the pieces.

But Elijah just pulled her too him and kissed her before whispering in her ear, "Not now. We'll do it later." Then he kissed her deeply as her hands ran down the muscles of his bare back before he broke the kiss and she lay her head on his shoulder.

* * *

"Did you pick your ring?" Astrid asked as Amanda and Viktor came to her house and they all sat down at the kitchen table. "Did you go to the store, or pick from my grandma's jewelry pile?"

"Jewelry pile," Amanda replied and held her wrist out so Astrid could see the bracelet.

"That one's a good one," Astrid told her. "My mom never liked it. She said purple was too wild a color."

"Well, that's just silly!" Amanda replied. "Viktor said you got all your jewelry. What did _you _pick?"

"Nothing really out there," Astrid shrugged. "A couple of diamond rings and sapphire broach." She paused. "If you'd like to use the broach for your 'something blue', I'd be more than happy to let you borrow it."

"That would cover old, borrowed, and blue, wouldn't it?" Amanda smiled. "I think I'll take you up on that."

"Wonderful!" Astrid replied and gave Amanda a hug. They then looked at Viktor, who had tears in his eyes.

"You okay, Daddy?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," Viktor nodded. "I'm just glad this is all going well."

"Me too," Amanda replied.

It was then that Alistair appeared, kissed Astrid's hair, and sat down. "How are things going here?" He asked.

"Good," Amanda replied. "Just peachy. What about you?"

"I don't know," Alistair replied. "I just got a call from Klaus. Apparently, he and Amy have gone their separate ways 'for the moment' and he's got a new girlfriend." He gave Astrid a look. "You think I should head over to his house and see what's going on?"

"If you want to," Astrid nodded. "I'm glad you got to have a _brief_ break from being attached to Klaus' hip, but perhaps you're the best person for the job of looking after him after all."

"Yes," Alistair nodded, feeling very relieved to finally have something specific to do with his life again. "I really think I am. See you later, dear. Wonderful to see you, Viktor and Amanda. And Astrid, I'll call you once I'm settled in, all right?"

"Thank you," Astrid called after him as he left. Then she smiled and went to get the sapphire broach to give to Amanda.


	39. Doing Things Over

"Okay," Astrid said as she strode around the living room and Viktor and Amanda watched from the sofa. "What do you want to do about your wedding? Do you want it big and fancy, or would you just like to, you know, have a sub sandwich and a radio playing while everyone dances and stuff in the front yard.

"Oh, no!" Viktor shook his head and looked disgusted. "I'm sure we can do better than that." He looked at Amanda. "What do _you_ think?"

"I consider myself pretty low maintenance, but even _I _want more than a sub sandwich in the backyard," Amanda answered. "Astrid, what did you and Alistair do for _your_ wedding?"

"What we did could work," Astrid replied. "I mean, I don't know how Daddy would like it, but we had fun."

"Don't you say that before you even tell me what you did," Viktor warned her. "And since I wasn't there, I'd _also_ like to know. And, perhaps, have a little restaging just so I can see? Please?" He looked at her hopefully.

"All right," Astrid smiled. "I'll see what Alistair says, but I'm sure he won't mind."

"Wonderful!" Viktor replied and took Amanda's hand. "I can't wait."

* * *

It surprised Viktor to get a call from Astrid a few days later with the message that if he and Amanda wanted to see the wedding re-do, it was ready.

"_Already_?" Viktor asked in surprise. "How in the world did you manage that?"

"Something called magic," Astrid replied in a cheeky voice.

"Well, I should have known," Viktor told her. "Let me see if Amanda isn't otherwise occupied, and if she isn't, then we'll be right over."

"All right," Astrid replied. "Can't wait to see you."

* * *

They arrived at Astrid and Alistair's several minutes later and he led them to the backyard, where seats, an archway with twinkly lights, a champagne fountain, and a long white carpet leading to the archway was set up. Amanda and Viktor looked around, both liking the simplicity of the setup.

Then, Alistair took out a record of the spring section of Vivaldi's _Four Seasons_, starting it as Viktor and Amanda both turned just in time to see Astrid appear at the end of the aisle, her long hair up with a hat perched atop it and a veil over her face. Her dress was white and short and she wore white heels with straps. She paused and Viktor wondered why she wasn't moving.

"Are you all right?" He asked her at last.

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. "But aren't you going to come walk me down the aisle?"

"Oh, of course," Viktor replied, feeling his heart swell. He hurried over to her side and took her arm, leading her down the aisle to Alistair, who stood waiting at the other end, tears in his eyes, even though this was only a reenactment of an actual event.

"You look beautiful," Viktor whispered in Astrid's ear before putting her hand in Alistair's and heading back to Amanda so they could watch Alistair and Astrid do the vows they'd first said so many years ago to begin a marriage that, although it had been halted temporarily by years of war and separation, was now as strong as ever.

"Well, what do you think?" Astrid asked when it was all over. "Is this something you might be interested in doing?"

"We won't copy it exactly, of course," Amanda assured her. "But I _do_ like the simplicity of it all."

"Me too," Viktor added.

"Good," Astrid smiled. "I'm glad you like it. It means we've found a starting point."

* * *

After coming up from the basement where she'd been looking for something, Selina headed to Elijah's office to make a request.

"Can I do something with the basement?" She asked. "It's a big space that has a lot more potential than just storing crap. I mean, Laura turned _her_ basement into a salon! I want something like that!"

"You'd like to turn our basement into a salon?" Elijah asked, one side of his mouth up.

"No!" Selina shook her head. "I want it to be a bowling alley or a movie theater, or an indoor swimming pool! We can do it if we just get all the stuff out of there and put it someplace else!" Full of enthusiasm, she looked at Elijah eagerly. "So…what do you think? And I'm sorry if you think I'm speaking ill of the hundreds of years of stuff you've accumulated. If there are particular things that mean a lot to you, we can keep them."

Elijah nodded. "I suppose I _could_ work on sorting out my things in the basement so you can do something with the space. I have my office, so if you would like the basement to use for your own purposes, I won't refuse you. Now that we have the time and the space, it's a perfect idea."

"Really?" Selina asked in amazement. "Thank you! You're the best husband ever! I love you!" Then, full of happiness, she ran to grab a pencil and paper so she could start making up plans.

As Elijah watched her go, he smiled to himself. She was so cute to watch when she got excited about a project. And she always threw her whole heart into everything. It was one of the things he liked about her.

"You got your list?" He said at last when she came up with pen and pad in hand. "What are you thinking?"

"A single lane for bowling with a soda counter, and possibly a jukebox, but I'm not sure about that yet," Selina told him. "As well as ingredients to make ice cream and sodas. And don't worry. I'll pay for this since it's my thing. It was enough for you to just let me have the space."

"All right," Elijah agreed. "I'm actually kind of excited about this. Would you believe that I've never bowled before in my life?"

"I _would_ believe that, actually," Selina replied. "It seems like something that would be a little too plebeian for you."

"True," Elijah agreed. "But I'm willing to try anything once."

"Good," Selina replied. "But you'll have to wear jeans when you play because I won't allow bowling in suits."

* * *

After making the mistake of stopping to check on her mother cause she hadn't seen her in a while, and then finding her in a state of undress with her uncle, Christine ran back to her car, put her foot on the pedal, and drove to Matthew's at top speed. When she strode inside, she heard voices and saw Matthew alone on the couch eating popcorn.

"What's going on?" She asked as she sat next to him. "Should I be worried?"

"No," Matthew told her and handed her the bowl. "I really wish you could see this. It's wonderful."

"What is it?" Christine wanted to know. "Tell me, please!"

"My brother and Amelia are fighting," Matthew laughed. "I've never seen Amelia be so worked up in my entire life. But if anyone could do it, it's my brother."

A few minutes later, both Andrew and Amelia appeared, shouting loudly, and, to Christine's surprise, a few swear words escaped Amelia's lips.

"You're right," she said and took the popcorn bowl. "This is even better than a movie!"

They watched for a little while longer and then Christine got bored. "You wanna leave now?" She asked Matthew.

"Sure," he nodded. "I think I could use some fresh air. Don't you?"

"Oh, sure," Christine nodded. "Please."

So, taking pity on Zeke and Jack who were being driven wild by Amelia and Andrew's bickering, they drove to the dog park and ran around with them, and when they were both sitting down on a bench, Christine said to Matthew, "Don't think I haven't forgotten that Zeke and Jack are hunting dogs. Would it bother you if I told you I wanted to learn how to shoot?"

"It doesn't bother me that my daughter knows how, so I think you're going to be fine," Matthew replied easily.

"All right," Christine smiled and took his arm. "That's good. I just wanted to check." They let the dogs run around for a little while longer and then drove back home where Matthew sat Christine down on a lawn chair and, after running into the house, gave her some books to read.

"Books?" She asked, feeling a little let down. "I thought you were gonna hand me a gun!"

"Well, if you don't know how to shoot, I'm not just going to hand you a gun," Matthew informed her. "You have to read up on safety and mechanics first _and then_ I'll let you have a gun." He paused. "Unless you've had some experience that you're not telling me about."

"No, I haven't," Christine shook her head and sighed. "I'll just keep reading these, then."

"Good," Matthew nodded. "Once you've read them back to front a few times, I'm gonna give you a test to see if you've remembered all the important stuff, and if you have, I'll take you down to get your gun license."

"Wow, this is a lot more complex than I thought it would be," Christine replied.

"Well, that's cause most people don't take the time to learn how to do it properly and just think that if you can hold a gun you can shoot it," Matthew replied stiffly. "I think differently."

"That's probably a good thing," Christine told him. A few minutes later, the dogs came and sat one either side of her chair while Matthew went and got her a drink. He then asked if he could mow the lawn while she read and she told him it would be all right.

She read until the sun got hot and Matthew insisted she come inside. "We wouldn't want you to get overheated," he explained. "Let's go inside and have some water."

"You think it'll be all right to go in there?" Christine asked as the dogs trotted eagerly behind them.

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "I was in there just a few minutes ago and Amelia and my brother have gone, at least for the moment."

"All right, good," Christine replied as she went ahead of Matthew up the wooden stairs to the back deck and entry way into the house. "I think Jack and Zeke deserve a break from them, don't you?"

"Yeah," Matthew nodded. "And honestly, I think we do too."


	40. Not Reacting Well

"What do you think of that Christine girl your father is seeing?" Andrew asked Selina. Unfortunately, she was cutting onions as he suddenly appeared and ended up cutting her hand. She swore loudly and then let out a sigh of relief as the wound healed.

"Sorry about that," Andrew apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, that's fine," Selina told him dismissively. "Wounds heal. Now, what were you asking?"

"Your father's lady friend, Christine," Andrew repeated. "Do you like her?"

"She's okay, I guess," Selina replied. "She's Elijah's daughter from another relationship, so I've always tried to be civil to her."

"Good," Andrew nodded. Then his voice got a little louder. "I want things to be better for him this time around, unlike when he married the witch."

"Excuse me!" Amelia shouted, appearing before him and getting in his face. "I am _not_ a witch!"

"Oh, that's right, you're a wolf! I guess 'bitch' would be more appropriate, wouldn't it?" Andrew grinned and gave a mock bow. "I stand corrected."

"And what were you saying about Daddy getting married?" Selina asked.

"It's gonna happen between him and that Christine," Andrew replied. "I can feel it in my gut."

"And you've got a lot of gut to feel it in," Amelia remarked. "How the hell did you get so fat? Did you decide to just let yourself go after you conned a woman into marrying you?"

"At least I let myself enjoy life instead of deciding that I was going to be miserable and forcing everyone else around me to feel the same way!" Andrew shot back. Then he looked her over. "The years really were not kind to you. I bet it was better for you to cuddle up to a whiskey bottle instead of a man because the bottle didn't talk back!"

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Amelia cried.

"If you think that I'm going to let you calling me 'fat' go, you are sorely mistaken!" Andrew cried. "I'd yell some more, but you're not worth my time. You're too sad and pathetic for me to waste words on." He then disappeared and Amelia was left speechless. She then turned toward her daughter, who was really trying hard not to laugh.

"What in the world is so funny?" She asked. "Why are you laughing?"

"It's just great to see someone finally standing up to you in a way that makes an actual impact," Selina explained. "You should see the look on your face!"

"I don't understand what makes that man think he has the right to be so rude to me," Amelia huffed. "Why can't he be nice and polite, like your father is?" She growled. "Oh, I _wish_ I was human so I could give that Andrew such a good, solid slap! He deserves it after all he's put me through!" She then disappeared, going back to Matthew's, Selina presumed, and hoped they wouldn't annoy Jack and Zeke too much. The poor dogs were becoming nervous wrecks as it was.

* * *

When Amelia arrived at Matthew's, she found it was empty of all living souls, including the dogs. She was about to settle in peacefully when Andrew jumped out from behind the sofa and yelled, "Boo!" laughing uproariously when Amelia let out a scream.

"Can you _be_ any more immature?" She cried.

"Do you really want me to try?" Andrew wanted to know. "Because I think I can manage it. And what's so wrong about what I just did? Ghosts are _supposed_ to frighten people. It's part of the job description."

"You're supposed to scare _living_ people," Amelia corrected. "Not someone like me."

"But do you realize how _easy_ it is to get a reaction out of you?" Andrew pointed out, the mischievous sparkle back in his dark eyes. "How could I pass that up? All your life you liked to pretend like you were immune from emotion, but I could always get something out of you, couldn't I?"

"Yes," Amelia replied dryly. "It's one of your few skills. I have no idea how you got to be a lawyer. Anyone else with your complete lack of drive would only have the life option of being homeless in the street!"

"Why do you always underestimate me?" Andrew wanted to know. "It seems to be a habit of yours and a damn annoying one too, since I'm constantly proving you wrong."

"You're not skilled at all," Amelia told him. "You're just lucky."

"Why does it matter how I got to be where I am?" Andrew asked. "Why can't you just be glad that I got there?"

"Cause I'm not a fool," Amelia replied. "Money always comes and goes with the working man. When I married your brother, I knew I'd be able to keep living in the manner to which I became accustomed. With you and your struggling law practice, which was up north, no less, there was no way for me to be assured that I wouldn't wake up poor one morning. In case you didn't notice, I and women like me were always taught to depend on our husbands for our livelihood. We were discouraged from having money of our own that would keep us safe in the event that our husbands' businesses failed. So excuse me for picking a husband who had money over one that may or may not depending on what day it was. I was only doing what was best for myself, even if it didn't necessarily mean I would get to do what made me happy."

Hearing this, Andrew sobered. "I'm sorry you felt it had to be that way," he said. "I really feel we could have had something."

"Oh, don't be silly," Amelia huffed and then disappeared, leaving Andrew alone and shocked in the living room.

* * *

"I like your brother," Christine told Matthew as they hiked along a trail. "He seems nice."

Matthew chuckled. "He drove my father crazy," he said. "Albert Samuel Warren was a man who liked obedience and that was my brother's least favorite thing. Father thought that with his military training, he could get both of us to be just like he was, but with Andrew, that didn't work out as well as he wanted it to. I have no doubt that Father's expectations were what made Andrew leave home, work up north, and then not return until after he heard Father was dead."

"What about you?" Christine asked, taking his hand. "Did your father treat _you_ well?"

"He treated me better cause I did what he wanted," Matthew told her. "In fact, he was the one who pushed me toward fighting to get Mexico. If it would have been up to me, I wouldn't have gone because I'd only been a father for a couple of months at that point. And when I tried to explain that to my father, he told me that wanting to be an active part of my child's life wasn't a manly way to think and that I would better serve my family by going to fight, and that if I didn't go, he would disinherit me. And I knew that would put my family in a terrible place, so I went, and after that, things were never the same." He sighed. "I wish I could have found the strength to do what I wanted. Things would have been better that way."

"But then you wouldn't be here with _me_," Christine pointed out. "And I wouldn't have a place to go when I need to get away from my crazy mother."

"Very true," Matthew nodded and gave her a quick kiss as they went to sit together on a log to rest. "I suppose there's a silver lining to everything, isn't there?"

* * *

"Are you all right?" Elijah asked Selina as he followed the sounds of loud banging into the basement and saw her going at the walls with a hammer and making a huge hole. "Did your mother do something to anger you again?"

"No, it wasn't her, surprisingly enough," Selina replied without looking at him. "My uncle stopped by earlier today. Or appeared or whatever you wanna call it, and he says that things between Daddy and Christine are getting serious."

"Well, that_ is_ problematic!" Elijah replied, being concerned for a totally different reason than she was. "If he marries Christine, he'll be my son in law _and_ my father in law! What am I supposed to do then?"

"And she'll be my stepmother!" Selina replied and made another hole in the wall. "I refuse to call her 'Mother' while Daddy tosses me aside for her. I won't tolerate it, Elijah. I won't."

"What did we say about letting your father be happy?" Elijah asked.

"Well, if it's at my expense, screw that!" Selina replied. "I don't want to be forgotten about again just cause some _kid_ caught my daddy's eye."

"I'm sure that won't happen," Elijah replied. "Now, put the hammer down, and let's go have a drink, okay?"

"Sure," Selina nodded. "But I'm staying down here. And bring a bottle."

Elijah sighed and went upstairs. And not only did he grab a bottle of alcohol from the stash, he also called Alistair.

"I know it's completely unfair of me to call you like this, but…Selina is going over to the dark side again and I need help!"

"You called at a good time," Alistair told him. "Klaus just headed off to Roxie's, so I'm completely available." He ended the call and almost immediately appeared at Elijah's side. "How bad is it?" He asked.

"Well, she has heard that her father is in a relationship that could be serious, and she feels like her own place with him is threatened cause the woman her father is with is of werewolf descent. And now she's taken a hammer to the wall of the basement and is demanding I give her alcohol." He paused. "What do you think I should do?"

"Let me have a look first," Alistair requested. They headed down the basement stairs and before Elijah could say anything, Selina, with her back turned to him, said, "I hope you remembered to bring the bottle. I don't want any bullshit excuses."

"Yes, I brought it," Elijah nodded. "Bourbon this time. Why don't you put the hammer down and come have some?"

Selina turned slowly then and after making sure that he did indeed have a bottle in his hand, she made her way toward him, and, when she noticed Alistair, said with narrowed eyes, "What's he here for?"

"Elijah is a bit concerned about how you're reacting to your father being in his new relationship," Alistair explained. "I came to help. First, I'm going to fix the hole in the wall, all right? Not that you haven't done a lovely job with it."

"Oh, fix all you want," Selina told him. "This bourbon's _really_ gonna help me through this stressful time." She headed upstairs, and as Alistair used his powers to fix up the wall, Elijah said, "I think I'll go upstairs and look after her so she doesn't hurt herself."

"Good idea," Alistair nodded. "I think that's really smart."

* * *

"We need to find some way to thank Astrid for all the work she's put in with planning our wedding," Amanda remarked to Viktor. "What do you think we should do?"

"I was thinking about that myself and would you be averse to sharing the day with them?" Viktor suggested. "Having our wedding be their wedding as well so they have a chance to really renew their vows? Astrid told me about their lives together and it's a really remarkable story that I think everyone should hear."

"Really?" Amanda asked. "I know they were together in the twenties and stuff, but what else is there?"

"They married in the thirties but were separated for more than half a century when Astrid went off to fight in World War II," Viktor told her. "But when they found each other again, they were still just as in love as ever."

"Oh, my god," Amanda cried, getting a lump in her throat. "We really _do_ need to acknowledge that. I think it would be a nice surprise for them." She paused. "But how should we do it?"

"What if, after we say our vows, we call them up and let them renew theirs?" Viktor suggested. "Like they did when they showed us their wedding, only this time, it would be for real. You wouldn't find that too intrusive, would you?"

"Of course not," Amanda replied. "But we can't tell them about this part of the ceremony. It has to be a surprise."

"Oh, of course," Viktor nodded. "I can't wait to see the look on my daughter's face. I hope it makes her happy."

"Yeah," Amanda nodded as she gave Viktor a hug. "Me too."


	41. Let It All Go

"So, how are things going with Kai in the prison world?" Astrid asked James. "My father is about to be married, you know, and I don't want Kai's nonsense getting in the way of that."

"They're going fine," James assured her smugly. "I really do think that bringing Victoria in to watch him was one of my better ideas."

"But what about when she accidentally let him loose?" Astrid asked, eyebrow raised. "That was not good."

"True, but nothing like that has happened since, so we're good and you don't have to worry."

"All right," Astrid replied. "I trust you, James." She then stood up and grabbed her purse.

"Where are you going?" James asked.

"To help my dad with wedding stuff," Astrid explained. "They're basing their wedding off of mine and Alistair's, and who knows how that went better than the two of us? I know everything is gonna be all right here, but if you really need to contact me, you know my number."

"Yes," James nodded. "I sure do."

* * *

"…take one down, pass it around, four bottles of beer on the wall! Three bottles of beer on the wall, three bottles of-"

"Shut _up_!" Victoria screamed at Kai and hit him in the face with a pillow. "You've been singing that stupid song for hours and it's giving me a headache!"

"I have _not_ been singing it for hours," Kai shook his head and smirked at her. "You are _such _a little drama queen. Besides, I thought you would like my singing."

"No, no I don't, which is why I'm asking you to stop!" Victoria corrected him. "Find something else to do that involves your mouth staying closed!"

"And what is it you expect me to do?" Kai asked. "We're in this _teeny _little cell and it's not like they gave me toys or anything."

"You want toys?" Victoria asked. "What are you, five?"

"Are you saying _you_ would rather be my source of amusement?" Kai asked. "Is that what you're offering?"

"I would rather you use your brain and find something else to do that doesn't involve singing really annoying songs," Victoria replied.

"If you're not happy here, you can just leave," Kai pointed out. "I can't. Stop telling me how to live in the small amount of space I've been offered."

Victoria didn't respond to this, but grabbed her purse and pulled out some body lotion instead, rubbing it all over her hands and arms.

"What do you need to do that for?" Kai asked.

"My skin is dry," Victoria responded. "I need to keep it moisturized." After finishing with her arms, she put some more on her hands and prepared to do her legs.

"I'll help you with that," Kai offered. "It would be my pleasure."

"What do you think I am, stupid?" Victoria asked, giving him a look. "I know perfectly well why you're offering to help me with this and it has nothing to do with kindness."

But Kai refused to take 'No' for an answer. He wrestled with Victoria, who did her best to keep the lotion out of his grasp. For a time, it was easy because he got distracted by the smell of jasmine on her skin, but then, he got his wits about him and grabbed for the lotion. He got it from her, but squeezed the soft bottle too hard so that some of the lotion squirted by his eye. "Oh, god!" He cried, his hands over his eyes. "It burns! It burns!"

"Oh, it can't be that bad," Victoria scoffed and took him over to the sink to help was the lotion out. Once that was done, he pushed her onto the cot, grabbed the lotion off the floor where he dropped it, and slowly began rubbing it on her bare legs, even taking off her shoes to put it on her feet.

Victoria tried not to show him how his touching affected her, even though it felt really good.

"See there?" He said after he shut the lotion bottle. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

Victoria shrugged. "I guess it was all right. I'd let you do it again."

"Oh, how generous of you," he told her dryly before getting up to stare at the mirror again.

"Is that part of your escape plan?" Victoria asked.

"Do you really wanna know?" Kai asked her in return.

"I'll take that as a 'Yes,' Victoria replied, and then laid back on the cot and shut her eyes.

Kai stared at her for a few seconds, and as her breathing became even, he had a choice: he could either steal the key and leave, or he could stay. He'd be an idiot not to take advantage. He came over and pushed some of her dark hair out of her eyes, but as he was trying to take the key from her, she clamped her hand down on his wrist and opened her eyes. "And just what do you think _you_ are doing?"

"Just checking to see how alert you are," he replied and then went back to his corner.

* * *

"Are these the soon to be newlyweds?" James asked as Astrid returned to the office with Amanda and Viktor just before the work day's end.

"Yes," Astrid nodded. "Daddy, this is James, my second in command. I don't know if you've met him before."

James and Viktor shook hands and then Amanda introduced herself. "I'm Amanda," she told James.

"Nice to meet you," James replied, noticing the large amount of flowers she was trying to hold onto. "What are all those flowers for?"

"These are the three choices I've narrowed it down to for my wedding bouquet," Amanda replied. "A traditional bouquet of red roses, a couple of red-tinted sunflowers, or a single yellow rose. I can't decide."

"I'm surprised you haven't picked the yellow rose," Viktor remarked. "That would be the simplest."

"No, I think I'll go with the tinted sunflowers," Amanda decided, leading Astrid to zap the others away.

"Sorry about that, James," she apologized after.

"That's all right," James told her. "But you didn't have to come back."

"I wanted to check on public enemy number one," Astrid explained. "Is that okay?"

"Sure," James replied.

"After assuring Amanda and Viktor she wouldn't be gone long, Astrid and James headed down to Kai's cell where they found Kai cuffed to the bed and Victoria cuffed to Kai while Kai tried desperately to reach a chip bag that Victoria had purposefully put just out of his reach.

"What in the world is going on here?" Astrid wanted to know.

"I fell asleep and he tried to take my key and escape," Victoria explained. "This was the best way I could think of to restrain him."

"Well, you could have just told me," James said to her. "No need for you to handle this on your own."

"I know," Victoria nodded and gave Kai a look, giggling at his struggle. "But it's more fun that way."

* * *

"I have a surprise for you," Matthew told Christine as they got back from their run after they finished horseback riding.

"Wonderful," Christine replied, putting her hands on her knees and trying to get a full breath. "But can it wait until after I take a shower? Cause I feel like an absolute slob right now. I don't know what the hell possessed me to suggest we run the rest of the way here from the stables."

"Well, since you're wearing such tight shorts, I have to wonder if you planned this," Matthew told her, trying not to look at her bottom.

"Oh, go ahead and look if you want to," Christine told him. "I know you are."

"Well, all right then," Matthew nodded. "I can't help but notice how beautiful your body is. You're so fortunate to be so naturally beautiful."

"You're very sweet," Christine told him. "But I take more classes than I'd like to admit to make myself like this. It didn't just happen."

"Well," Matthew took off his shirt and flexed before turning around to show her his backside. "Do I need to take those classes too? What do you think?"

"Oh, you know you're perfect," Christine replied, smiling widely. "You don't even need to ask. How in the world did you get so buff and stuff?"

"Weight training," Matthew replied. "I've also wrestled from time to time, plus they really work you out in the army."

"Well, how fortunate for me," Christine smiled. "Now, I really think I should be taking my shower now."

"All right," Matthew nodded. "You go ahead and do that and I'll get your surprise ready."

"Can't wait to see it," Christine replied and gave him a long kiss. When she was gone and the shower water was running, Andrew appeared beside his brother as Matthew walked to his bedroom.

"So, what are you going to give her for a surprise?" He asked. "Some of Mother's jewelry?"

"Yep," Matthew nodded. "One of the pieces that you didn't gamble away."

"I got it back in the end," Andrew said firmly. "It wasn't my fault the man cheated and shot me to death before I could set things right!"

"I don't see what's so wonderful about gambling in the first place," Matthew said. "It's a terrible risk."

"Yes, but only if you lose," Andrew grinned, his dark eyes sparkling.

"Or you die," Matthew finished flatly. He rifled around in the drawer with his mother's jewelry in it until he found a ruby pendant. "I think this is the thing," he said. "I'll find a chain for that, and then it'll be perfect."

"First you buy her a horse, then give her some of Mother's jewelry," Andrew said. "For god's sake, just propose already!"

"I would love to," Matthew replied. "But not yet. It's too soon."

"What's standing in your way?" Andrew asked.

"She's blonde and she's got an attitude problem," Matthew replied dryly.

"Amelia?" Andrew asked. "Don't worry, brother. I can deal with her."

"Thank you," Matthew told him. Then, after Andrew had gone, Matthew left the pendent on the bed, along with a note, explaining what it was and where it had come from. Then he went to play with Zeke and Jack until Christine came into the living room, fully clothed, her hair wet, and clutching the pendant in her hand.

"This is beautiful," she said. "But you really didn't need to give this to me. I don't deserve it."

"Yes, you do," Matthew replied and held her tightly against him. "No one deserves it more than you."

* * *

"Would you look at that?" Andrew grinned, his hand tightly grasping Amelia's as she glared at the pair cuddling happily on the sofa. "Look at Matthew giving Christine our mother's jewelry. Tell me now, did he ever give _you_ anything so nice?"

"Of course he did!" Amelia snapped. "I mean, he wanted to give me something of your mother's, but your father refused to part with any of it, so I got a store bought ring, but he meant well. Lucky for Christine that your father is dead or she'd end up with something bad as well while your father hoards all the really nice stuff for himself."

"You know, that's why I took a lot of Mother's things when he wasn't looking," Andrew told her. "So I could give you-I mean, Abigail, the woman who actually _let_ me marry her, something nice when I proposed.

"There you go again saying how much you like me," Amelia said. "If you expect me to say the same, I won't. Why would you want to marry me anyway?"

"I wouldn't," Andrew replied. "Why would I want to marry a high maintenance shrew like you?"

"I don't _know_!" Amelia shouted. "But for some reason, you keep mentioning it, you idiot! I _am_ too good for you. That Abigail was a saint! The only other sort of woman who would tolerate being near you is someone you paid to be an extra body in your bed at night!"

"Interesting talk for someone who spent a lot more time in my bed than they'd like to admit," Andrew grinned at her. "You always say you have no idea how you ended up there, but I think we both know."

"We do," Amelia nodded. "It's cause you're a pig and tricked me somehow!" Then she gave him a hard slap before disappearing and bringing a whole section of the ceiling down onto the sofa right next to where Christine and Matthew were sitting and giving him barely enough time to bring her onto his lap and cover her head so she wouldn't get hit.


	42. A Family Feud

"I know you feel nervous about your uncle's enthusiasm regarding your father's relationship with Christine, but I really think there's nothing for you to worry about," Elijah assured Selina as he ran his hand down her back as they both rested on their bed. He was sitting and Selina was on her stomach beside him. "Your father is not the sort of man who has to learn a lesson twice."

"I don't know," Selina shook her head. "I'll believe it when I see it." She let out a sigh and face-planted into the mattress.

It was then that Elijah thought it was best to show her the surprise Alistair had made for her in the basement with the bowling alley and the soda counter. It might cheer her up. "Come with me," he said.

"Why?" Selina asked. "What are we doing?"

"I have a surprise for you in the basement," Elijah told her. "Come on!"

"All right," Selina said as he pulled her after him. The lights in the basement were off, but when Elijah turned them on, they revealed the soda fountain and bowling alley she had asked for.

"Where the heck did this all come from?" She asked in wonder. "I didn't even do any renovating!"

"Alistair and I had a talk and we thought it would be good for you to have this a lot sooner than you'd get it with a renovation, so he zapped it up," Elijah told her. "Are you happy?"

"Yeah," Selina smiled and grabbed the bowling ball while Elijah watched her from behind. "I really think I am. Thank you so much for this. With everything that's going on with my life, it's a nice surprise."

"Oh, you don't have to thank me," Elijah replied as she wiggled her bottom a bit. "Your happiness and the good view I have are thanks enough."

* * *

"What in the world is all _this_?" Andrew asked as he appeared in the basement a few days later and marveled at Selina's latest toys while she bowled. She got a strike and then turned to face her uncle. "This is my fun room," she told him. "It's supposed to help keep my mind off the fact that my father is going to marry my stepdaughter."

"Christine is your _stepdaughter_?" Andrew asked, his jaw dropping a little. "No _wonder _you're a bit put off. I wouldn't have bragged about it so much if I had known."

"It's okay," Selina replied. "It's not your fault." She threw the ball again and Amelia (who had arrived just after Andrew) said, "Dear, you don't have to just let this go. If you're unhappy, let your father know. You were here first! It's your right!"

Andrew put his hand over Amelia's mouth and said to Selina, "Please don't listen to her. I know that your father's parenting hasn't always been the best, but…doing what your mother says will only make things worse between the two of you."

"I know," Selina nodded as Matthew called out her name and then he and Christine appeared in the basement a few minutes later.

"Hi," Matthew said. "Christine suggested that we come and talk about things, specifically about our relationship. Is that okay with you?"

"Do we really have to do this while I'm having so much fun?" Selina groaned.

"Well, we have to talk about it _sometime_, I think," Matthew replied. "We might as well get it over with!"

"If we're talking about this, Amelia and I are going to be included in the conversation as well," Andrew said and Amelia nodded firmly and took Andrew's hand.

"What in the world is going on?" Matthew asked. "Why do you two feel you need to be involved in this? It's a matter between Christine, Selina, and myself that doesn't concern you."

"How does it not concern us, brother?" Andrew asked.

"Well, how the hell _does_ it?" Matthew shot back.

"If this is a bad time, I think I'll go," Christine said, looking very uncomfortable. "We can always do this later."

"Oh, no," Amelia shook her head. "Why don't you take a seat, person who's depriving my daughter of a father when she's already had that happen to her most of her life."

"I'm not trying to deprive anyone of _anything_," Christine defended herself.

"Besides," Matthew said, "Selina is an adult and she doesn't need to be parented like a child."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you can forget me again like when you headed off to war and left me to be raised by a pack of wolves!" Selina pointed out. "That's the point you don't seem to be getting."

Andrew cleared his throat. "You weren't only raised by a pack of wolves. You were raised by a pack of wolves, your aunt Abigail, and me."

"I was?" Selina asked. "I don't really remember that."

"Well, that's because that arrangement ended after the _incident_ when you were five years old, so you _wouldn't _remember it very well," Amelia told her.

"Stop calling it 'The Incident' like it was something big and shameful that I did," Selina said. "I was five years old, I was mistaken for a runaway slave girl by a drunken overseer during a full moon, and because I was terrified of him, I stabbed him several times with a knife. I was defending myself! And _you _should have defended me instead of making me feel like crap when I did nothing wrong!"

"My parents never showed me mercy like that, so I'm sorry that I never showed it to you," Amelia replied. "When I got in a fight and my parents thought the girl I hurt was going to die, they tied me up in the attic so I wouldn't hurt anyone when I transformed and then they just left me there for I don't know_ how_ many days until they finally heard that the girl wasn't dead. Then they let me out and from then on, they always treated me like a caged animal who was going to bite."

"Well, that's still no excuse for how you treated me, no matter how sad it is," Selina replied.

"Can we get back on topic, _please?" _Matthew yelled in frustration.

"Okay, I'll make it simple for you," Selina told him as she looked him in the eye. "I want you to be happy, so I'm not gonna fight this too much, although I wish you'd chosen someone else who wasn't fathered by my husband to be your girlfriend. Yes, I will be pisssed, yes, I will probably skip your wedding, but a part of me is very glad you're happy, even though that will most likely come at the expense of our entire relationship because that's how it worked with Mama."

"Meaning what?" Andrew asked.

"He thought it would be too shocking for Mama's delicate system to see him on her doorstep after the army had already told her he was dead, so that's why he didn't come back except in secret after he became a vampire," Selina told her uncle.

"Brother, you are a fool," Andrew told Matthew as he shook his head in wonder. "Your wife is much stronger than you give her credit for. Things have happened between her and me and she handled them. She didn't crumble like some shrinking violet."

"Damn right," Amelia replied, looking smug. "There's no room for behavior like that when I'm dealing with a malcontent like you, Andrew Warren."

"But what about all the things that Dr. Stensrund told me about?" Matthew asked, looking dumbfounded. "The suicide attempts? The depression? The fighting between you and Selina? Did he just imagine those things?"

"No, those happened," Amelia nodded earnestly. "But only when your brother wasn't around to be a thorn in my side and distract me from the giant mess I'd made of my life. And when he wasn't making it an even _bigger _mess_._"

"Yes," Andrew nodded. "That seems to be my role, even if it's unintentional."

"So you two will leave us alone?" Christine asked, looking back and forth between Selina and Amelia.

"I'll try to," Selina told her. "But I won't make any promises about my mother." She went upstairs then, leaving Amelia and Andrew, and Christine and Matthew to stare at one another in silence.

Then Christine finally said, "Screw it," and gave Matthew a long kiss while Amelia looked on in disgust and Andrew firmly gripped her hand.

"Stay calm," he warned her. "Just stay calm."

When they pulled apart, Christine was smirking and Matthew was grinning like an idiot. Christine then grabbed Matthew's hand and suggested they leave. "We have better things to do than waste our time with this," she said, looking Amelia right in the eye.

"Good for you for not killing her," Andrew said when he and Amelia were finally alone.

Amelia scoffed. "Just because it didn't happen now doesn't mean I'm always gonna hold off."

"Oh, I'm sure," Andrew nodded. "Now, tell me about this fight you said you were in when you were a little girl. I don't believe it."

"You don't?" Amelia asked dryly. "Well, she was teasing me, so I gave her a bit of this-" she punched Andrew in the nose. "And some of this-" followed by his eye, "And then I pinned her to the ground and started punching her over and over and over until she was just…still."

"You're not going to act out the last part?" Andrew asked. "You aren't going to show me how you pinned her down?"

"No," Amelia shook her head. "Cause you would love that, and as you know, I have no intention of _ever_ making you happy!" She turned to walk away and Andrew backed her up against the wall and kissed her. "You say that now, but isn't it funny how you always end up with me anyway?"

"You cad," Amelia said and slapped him again before Andrew gave her a wink and disappeared.

* * *

Amanda was excited about the next thing for the wedding: the cake. And she knew there was only one person she could see for that: her mother.

"Hey, Mom?" She said, heading down to the basement with Viktor trailing behind her. "Can we talk?"

"What about?" Selina asked, roller-skating towards them on unsteady skates and had to be caught by Viktor. "Nothing serious, I hope?"

"Cakes," Viktor assured her. "We need to talk about wedding cakes."

"All right," Selina nodded and skated back behind her ice cream counter (she wanted a '50s theme for her counter and the skates were part of the look. "What are you thinking?"

"Chocolate something," Amanda replied. "Cupcakes, maybe?"

"A mix of chocolate and Vanilla cupcakes would be good."

Selina then gestured at the bakery case. "If you want to check for quality, I'll let you try anything," she said as Viktor got down to look, his eyes on some red velvet cake on the top shelf. He asked Selina to get it out for him and she did. He and Amanda shared it and then when it was gone, he told Selina, "I really didn't need to check for quality control. I just wanted to eat."

"I thought you'd say that," Selina said and smiled knowingly.

"Can you do a marble cake with chocolate frosting?" Amanda asked her mother. "Or would that be too hard?"

"No, it would be fine," Selina replied, then turned to her daughter's fiance. "Is that what you want, Viktor?"

"Yes," Viktor nodded. "That sounds all right to me."

"Good," Selina nodded. "Looks like you two have yourselves a cake."

"Thanks," Amanda told her mother. "Can we bowl?"

"Sure," Selina nodded as they headed to the lane. "Go ahead. Enjoy yourselves. That's what all this is for."


	43. Change For The Worse

"So…you _do_ remember all the times you woke up in my bed, right?" Andrew asked Amelia.

"Yes, I remember them," Amelia nodded. "Or at least the aftermath, anyway. What I _don't_ remember is what the hell motivated me to go in the first place. Cause I know I wouldn't have chosen to of my own free will."

"And why not?" Andrew asked.

"We've been over this," Amelia huffed. "I can't be seen with someone like you. You're beneath me."

"Oh, I don't think so," Andrew replied. "From what I remember, I was always on top of you."

"Oh, you bastard!" Amelia growled, some color permeating her cheeks. "Can we not talk about this anymore?"

"It's always 'repress, repress, repress' with you, isn't it?" Andrew smirked. "In all seriousness, though, do you think it was a werewolf thing?"

"You mean that made me attracted to you?" Amelia clarified. "I wouldn't be surprised. My father always _did_ say acknowledging that business would bring me nothing but misery."

"Or maybe _not_ acknowledging it does," Andrew suggested.

"I'm sure that's wrong," Amelia insisted. "My father wouldn't have insisted I do something that would be harmful to me. He was just trying to keep me and the rest of the family safe."

"And that's what you were trying to do with Selina too?" Andrew asked. "When you decided to shut me out and isolate her?"

"Yes!" Amelia told him firmly. "I did what I thought was best for her. What help would you have been to me anyway? Abigail had died, you were a widower at that point-"

"Just because I lost my wife didn't mean I lost my fondness for my niece!" Andrew thundered. "When you took her away, it was like losing my brother all over again."

"Was it?" Amelia asked. "And you don't think _I_ saw Selina as a reminder of her father as well?"

"Oh, I have no doubt you did," Andrew replied. "But you went too far. You stopped her from being her own person. I tried to petition the court several times to have her brought into my custody. For whatever reason, they looked at you and decided _you_ were the more suitable parent."

"Well, of course!" Amelia cried, hands on hips. "I _am_ her parent!"

"You married an unstable, abusive man just so you could say you were married!" Andrew shouted. "Parent or not, you weren't fit. It was all well and good for you to ruin your own life, but you didn't have to ruin Selina's too."

"I can't believe there was an actual time I was able to be civil to you!" Amelia yelled at him.

"I can't believe there was a time that I found you attractive!" Andrew shouted back.

They paused and stared at each other in silence. "I need proof of this," Amelia told him. She pulled him along after her to the bedroom and began looking around for her diaries. She looked in each one for the year, and when she found the one for 1843, she read through it and gasped, shutting it quickly. "I think I feel ill," she said.

"Oh, come on and share," Andrew insisted. "What things did you write about me that you don't want me to hear?"

"Who said I wrote anything about you?" Amelia asked innocently.

"If you didn't, you wouldn't have shut the book so quickly," Andrew said. "So come on. Out with it."

"You're just going to laugh at me," Amelia replied. "I wrote these when I was a girl. Just a bunch of stupid memories about me, and when I thought that I could do whatever I wanted in life, regardless of what my mother said."

"I won't laugh," Andrew reassured her. "I remember I was a big part of it. Just read it, please."

Amelia sighed and looked at the date of the entry: February 1st, 1843_, _took a deep breath, and began reading, shutting her eyes as the words washed over her, and she felt herself remember….

"_Mama, can I go outside, please if I be careful of the snow?" Amelia Lockwood, recently turned sixteen, asked her mother. "The Warren boys got back from their trip and I want to go welcome Andrew back." She held up a pie. "And give him this pie I made."_

_Her older brother Charlie smirked at her from a chair where he was reading his book, his dark eyes full of mockery. "It's good you got at least one pie done without burning the whole house down!" He said._

"_Oh, hush!" Amelia yelled back at her dark-haired, dark-eyed brother. "I don't see you doing anything that's good for anyone, Charlie Lockwood!"_

"_Don't you two start fighting now," her mother Rose warned, her blue eyes flashing. "You know what your father thinks that would lead to."_

_Both sobered. "Sorry, Mama," Amelia apologized. "So, may I go out and see Andrew?"_

"_I'll come with you," her mother said and grabbed her coat and bringing one for Amelia, who was tying on her matching blue bonnet. "Make sure you stay warm. We don't want you to get ill again when we just you cured of a cold."_

"_No, we don't," Amelia shuddered. So she and her mother left the house and took the short walk over to the Warrens' house where slaves were helping Andrew and Matthew empty the carriage and take things back into the house._

_As Amelia and her mother approached, Albert Warren, a stern man with dark hair, a ramrod straight back, and a bushy dark mustache, removed his top hat and bowed to them._

"_Hello, ladies," he said and then stood up. "How are you today?"_

"_Wonderful," Rose smiled as she held out her hand to be kissed and Amelia gave a curtsey. "My daughter and I just wanted to stop by and see how you were after your long journey."_

"_How kind of you," Albert replied. "If you'd like to talk, let's go inside. No use standing out here in the cold."_

_They stepped inside and that was when Amelia showed her pie. "I brought this for you," she said. "I made it myself."_

"_Well, aren't you sweet?" Albert smiled. "I'm sure my boys would love that."_

_Amelia blushed. "Well, I hope so, sir. It's apple." She put it on the table and sat down just in time for Andrew and Matthew to enter the room. As courtesy demanded, both boys gave Amelia and her mother a bow, and kissed their hands, leaving Amelia giggling awkwardly and then quickly putting her hand over her mouth. _

"_I'm sorry," she apologized. "I don't know where all that noise came from."_

"_Don't worry about it," Andrew smiled at her. "I don't see anything wrong with having a nice laugh."_

"_Thank you," Amelia said, averting her eyes. It was very hard to look at him because he was so handsome. Actually, if she were being honest, both brothers were handsome, but Matthew, for all his kindness, was a bit dull. He'd probably treat the woman he was with like some fragile doll. That's why she liked Andrew so much. He treated her like a person when not many other people in her life did. Then she took a deep breath and got up the courage to ask, "How was your trip, Andrew?"_

"_It was nice," Andrew nodded. "Our cousins up north are always nice to see. One of them has a law practice and I'm thinking that might be something I'd like to do."_

"_Not up north you won't," His father said severely._

"_And what if I want to?" Andrew shot back. The two of them stared each other down until Matthew cleared his throat and said quickly, "Why don't we try the pie that Amelia worked so hard on? How about that?"_

"_Let me help," her mother insisted. That snapped Albert out of his anger and he insisted Rose stay seated. Soon, they were all eating pie, and once the plates were empty, and Amelia's efforts had been praised (especially by Andrew; he had three pieces). Then they sat in silence for a time before Andrew stood up and looked Amelia in the eye._

"_Would you accept a challenge to a snowball fight?" He asked her._

_Amelia ignored her mother's look of disapproval, took Andrew's arm, and said, "I would love to!" She put her coat on again and she and Andrew headed outside to throw snowballs at each other until they were both shivering and soaking wet, although their eyes were bright with laughter._

_As Andrew shut the door behind him, Amelia's mother seized upon her and said they needed to leave. A sneeze from Amelia made her frown deeper. "Let's get you home and set you down in front of a fire," she said tersely, then addressed the Warrens in a kinder tone of voice. "Thank you for inviting us in," she said. "We're glad you got home safely. And Matthew, I don't know where my daughter's manners were that she ignored you so completely, but the next time we come, I'm sure she'll make time for a nice chat with you." She then pulled Amelia out to the carriage, and as they rode home, said, "Kindly explain to me why you ignored Matthew Warren during that visit? He's the one that's going to inherit the family money someday. He's the one you should focus on for your husband."_

"_But Mama, I like Andrew better!" Amelia cried out. "He treats me like a person instead of some monster that's going to be unleashed if I breathe! I want to be with Andrew! I-" Her mother then gave her a sharp slap across the face. "Don't you talk like that!" She said. "You know that your lot in life is to help your family grow in many ways through your marriage. It was my lot and the lot of many women before me. I know it's not fair, but you'll get nowhere from fighting it. Tomorrow, you will go see Matthew Warren, you will be kind, and you will invite him on a sleigh ride. Do you understand me?"_

"_Yes," Amelia replied resignedly. "I understand."_

"_Good," her mother replied. "Although your behavior was in many ways a misstep, I suppose that pie saved you and kept you in the family's good graces. I guess we can all be relieved by that."_

"_Yes," Amelia replied. "We can."_

* * *

_When nighttime came and her maid tucked Amelia into bed and blew out her candles, she was glad. Glad to be away from her mother and her mother's rules, and just…everything. She tried to sleep, but the look on her mother's face after she'd slapped her made that hard. She knew that her mother was just trying to do what was best for her, and she couldn't blame her for that, but…sometimes she had to wonder if that really _was_ the right thing._

_As she drifted off to sleep, she heard a noise that sounded like a wounded bird. Half awake, she walked to her window and opened it just in time for someone to fall in._

"_You're cold," he said and pulled her to him._

"_Well, yes," she whispered back. "That's what happens when you open the window on snowy night, Andrew Warren. And you need to work on your signal. It sounds terrible!"_

_He led her over to her bed and gave her a boost. "How much trouble are you in about the snowball fight today?"_

"_No more than usual," Amelia shrugged. "But Mama has her eye on Matthew for me. She's as stubborn as a mule and she probably won't change her mind."_

_Andrew heard this and shrugged. "No matter," he said. "You and I can always run away, you know. Far away where no one can ever find us to bother us."_

"_You're so silly," Amelia said, trying not to giggle too loud as she lay her head on his shoulder. _

"_I don't think I'm being silly," Andrew replied. "Just tell me a date and we'll go."_

"_We will?" Amelia asked, her voice full of hope. "Do you promise?"_

"_Yes, I do," Andrew replied._

_Just then, there was a sound in the hallway and Andrew, presumably looking like a scared deer, ran to the window and climbed out, leaving Amelia alone with much better thoughts._

* * *

"I'd completely forgotten that you and I were going to run away together," Amelia said and shook herself. "I don't know what I was thinking. I was young and stupid. Impractical. My mother was right."

"Are you sure?" Andrew asked.

"Yes," Amelia nodded. "I don't know who was in the hall way that night, but they saved me from making a terrible mistake."

"Yes," Andrew nodded. "And while we're speaking of mistakes, I'm glad that we never went through with it. Cause I know that would have been a mistake for me, too."

"Nice to know we agree on something at last," Amelia told him.

"Yes," Andrew nodded. "It is."


	44. Trying Times

"So…what about you and Amelia?" Christine asked Matthew. "Did you love her? Is that an impertinent question?"

"No, it's not, don't worry," Matthew shook his head. "Actually, to be totally honest, she never really liked me all that much."

Christine scoffed. "Well, that much is obvious. Why would you marry someone like that?"

"It was an arrangement between her father and mine," Matthew explained. "Her father was the mayor, mine…well, mine was just good friends with him and thought Amelia and I would make a good pair. I'm sure there was a better reason, like a business transaction or something, but I've forgotten what it was. She really liked my brother more."

"No!" Christine shook her head. "She _hates_ your brother! All they do is fight!"

"Not when they were alive, they didn't," Matthew replied. Then, he pulled her to him. "Why don't we not talk about them, please?"

"All right," Christine nodded affably. "Want a beer?"

"Sure," Matthew told her. "I'd love one."

So she brought it to him and after he'd drunk about half the bottle, he began talking about the past. About how he and his brother had grown up with Amelia's family and that he'd always thought she was nice.

"She wasn't always the angry person she is now," he told Christine. "When she was young, she was very sweet. It was her parents who stomped all that out of her."

"When did you find out she was a werewolf?" Christine asked. "Did you know the whole time?"

Matthew's lip quirked. "Her family liked to act like it was some big secret they were hiding from everyone, but people knew. I knew. Of course, it didn't make her bad tempers during full moons and just in general less shocking, but after some time, I got used to it. I calmed her down really easily."

Christine nodded. "Like I'm always telling you: you have a gift of a calm nature that draws werewolves to you. Maybe that's another reason why Amelia's family wanted you to be the one to marry her. Andrew doesn't seem to have the same calming effect on people that you do."

"No, he definitely doesn't," Matthew shook his head and took another drink.

"Were you ever in love with someone else before your father told you that you had to marry Amelia?" Christine asked, despite Matthew's request not to bring her up. "I mean, you don't have to answer that question if it's too personal, but…"

"I can't say I was too attached to anyone, although I _did_ love Amelia like a sister," Matthew replied. "My father drilled into my head from a very young age that my life was all about my duty to my family, since I was the eldest son. I spent most of my time among books and I didn't do frivolous things like party or chase girls cause my father would have disapproved. The only time I really saw women and girls was in carefully supervised social settings. I was too tightly wound, as my brother would say, to meet them anywhere else."

"So you just spent your whole life doing whatever your father said and that's it?" Christine asked. "I mean, it just…it doesn't seem like you. I mean, sure you're not as wild as your brother was, but…you had to have wanted something else."

"I had a close friendship with the man who ran our stables," Matthew told her. "Of course my father disapproved of me being so friendly with a servant, but when I would go down to ride, we would talk, and he would tell me stories about how he wanted a stable of his own and things like that. So when I turned eighteen and got the first bit of money from my father, the first thing I did was give that man some to start up his own stables. And I'm proud to say that it actually turned out quite well for him." He smiled. "You know the stables we get the horses from now?"

"Yeah," Christine grinned. "What about them?"

"Those are the ones that the man started. His descendants are running them now, of course, but I would never patronize anywhere else."

"Do you have a single flaw at all?" Christine asked as she patted his thigh. "Not that I'd go looking for any, I mean, but I wonder."

"Oh, I have _many,_" Matthew nodded. "But I'm looking to change that." He then smiled and kissed her, pushing her back until she was lying down on the sofa, her arms wrapped around his neck, and his hands massaging her stomach under her t-shirt.

* * *

Selina woke up one morning to find a diary floating above her head. Thankful that Elijah had already gone to get coffee cause he didn't like seeing ridiculous things like that, she sat up and caught it as it hurtled toward her lap. It looked very old and as Selina muttered "What's this?" to herself, Andrew appeared.

"I want you to read that so you can learn more about your mother," he said seriously. "It's her diary and I think you should see what it says."

"Does Mama know you gave me this?" Selina asked. "What if she comes after me?"

"Say it was my fault, she'll believe that," Andrew told her as Amelia appeared in the doorway. "What's going on here?" She asked.

"Uncle Andrew wants me to read your diaries," Selina explained. "He says it'll help me understand you if I do."

"You can't just give that to her!" Amelia yelled at Andrew when she saw what Selina was holding. "That's private!"

"What if I type it up?" Selina offered. "It'll be better preserved that way. I'm working on doing that with mine and Elijah's."

"What a good plan," Andrew smiled. "And a very nice offer."

"You just be careful with that," Amelia ordered. "It's all very fragile."

"I know," Selina replied. "I've handled old journals before. Yours isn't the first one."

"What year did he give you?" Amelia snapped, her voice getting shrill.

Selina carefully opened it and said "1843." She then noticed her mother's sour expression. "What?" She asked. "What's wrong with 1843?"

"There's some very sensitive stuff I wrote in there that I don't think is any of your business," Amelia replied stiffly.

"Oh, come on!" Andrew told her. "Would you calm down? She grew up with your family. There's probably nothing in there that will surprise her."

Amelia then whispered something in Andrew's ear and then he asked, "Why don't you want her to know about that? It's sweet. It's not embarrassing. _I'm_ not embarrassed for her to know that."

But Amelia took the book from Selina's hands, leafed through it, and deftly tore out a couple of pages before handing it back. "There," she said. "You can read the rest."

"But the pages you tore out are the ones she probably needs to read the most," Andrew said. "Amelia, do you want her to think of you as a cruel tyrant for the rest of her days, or do you want her to know that you once had a heart?"

"When I want her to know, I'll tell her," Amelia replied sharply. She then looked at her daughter. "Don't you think you should be getting dressed? There's no reason to lay about like this. You should be making your husband breakfast or something."

"Well, I was planning on doing that when the two of you showed up, so really, Mama, you're the only one who's stopping me." Selina replied.

Just then, the door opened and Elijah poked his head in after Amelia and Andrew disappeared. "Are you going to have breakfast today?" He asked. "Or do you just want to stay in bed?"

"No, I'm coming," Selina replied, getting out of bed and putting on her bathrobe. "Mama and Uncle Andrew just paid me a little visit is all. That's why I'm late." She took her mother's diary and followed Elijah to the breakfast table where they ate, drank coffee, and talked about what they would do for the rest of the day before showering together, dressing, giving each other a kiss, and going their separate ways with a promise to meet up again later.

* * *

Selina was left alone to do what she would with her mother's diary because Elijah, Amanda, and Viktor had been summoned by Rosalie for help.

"Rosalie, you turned him?" Elijah asked his niece, his voice full of shock when he saw Aaron gnawing on a struggling animal in the kitchen at Amy's.

"No, he turned _himself_," Rosalie replied. "But any longer and I probably would have." She then stepped aside and Viktor, Elijah, and Amanda studied the new vampire.

"Hi," Amanda told him. "Do you know your name?"

Aaron paused gnawing on the animal, but held it out of her reach as if she might steal it. "What do you think I am, an idiot?" He asked. "Of course I know my name."

"No, I don't think you're an idiot, I just want to see how messed up you are," Amanda replied. "I'm Amanda, this is my dad, Elijah, and my fiancé, Viktor. We're all vampires like you. We can help."

After working with a very resistant Aaron for a while, Viktor and Amanda stepped away, leaving Elijah to try and have a go by himself. Once he took a deep breath, Viktor held Amanda close and told her, "I'm _never_ gonna complain about wedding planning after this," he whispered in her ear.

"I think it's good that you know what kind of family you're marrying into," Amanda said. "Things like this are actually quite routine for us."

"Yes, Alistair has told me that," Viktor nodded. "And Astrid too. Never a dull moment is there?"

"Nope, there never is," Amanda shook her head. "Even when we could really use one."

Elijah then called Amanda back into talk to Aaron since he was the one she seemed to respond the best to, and while she and Rosalie worked with him, Elijah and Viktor sat together in the living room and chatted with Amy about this and that while trying to ignore the horrible noises coming from the room where Aaron was because they knew that whatever Aaron tried to do, neither girl would come to any real harm because of him.


	45. A New Student

"What do you have there?" Elijah asked as he strode into the library and noticed that Selina was typing with an old blue book near her. "Is that one of your journals, or one of mine?"

"My mother's, actually," Selina replied and took her fingers off the keys for a moment so she could get up to go kiss her husband.

"Oh?" Elijah asked, as he put his arms around her and kissed her back. "Have you read anything interesting?"

"No," Selina sighed. "I think Mama tore all the juicy pages out. But from what I've read, it just reaffirmed that she had a pretty sucky life. Even worse than mine."

"And what does that mean exactly?" Elijah asked, standing over her shoulder and trying to see what she had written.

"Her mother used to hit her a lot," Selina replied. "That's probably why she took what Robert Pierce did to her without question. It was just something she was used to."

"And your mother never hit _you_, right?" Elijah asked.

"No," Selina shook her head. "She just yelled a lot. That's it. That's probably why it was so easy for me to ignore." She sighed. "I wanna talk to her about it, but I think it's something she wants to keep to herself."

"Maybe she'll want to talk when she's ready," Elijah said. "Just be patient."

"I know that's the right thing to do," Selina replied. "But I feel like I've done my mother a terrible wrong and I want to make it up to her."

"I know your intentions are good," Elijah told her. "But if you try and force a discussion now, you'll be doing it for your own peace of mind and to assuage your own guilt, rather than to help mend your relationship with your mother, and I don't think that would help either of you."

"You're right," Selina nodded. "It won't." She paused. "But maybe if I say something to Daddy or Uncle Andrew, they can get the ball rolling."

"Don't say anything," Elijah repeated firmly. "I know you probably won't listen, but I think I'm right."

"You probably are," Selina agreed. "I'll try to remember that." Elijah kissed her hair and then left to go watch some TV, leaving her to continue typing up her mother's journal in peace, as she continued to swat away feelings about her mother that were buzzing around her head like flies and just would not leave her alone.

* * *

"I still can't believe you handed over my most private thoughts to my daughter," Amelia huffed at Andrew. "But then again, what would _you_ know about privacy? You've always aired your dirty laundry out in public for as long as I can remember."

"I don't think I did anything wrong," Andrew said firmly. "But if you feel I did, then…I apologize."

"Oh, don't you dare!" Amelia said to him. "You're not _really_ sorry. You're just trying to get me to like you again so you can lure me into your web of iniquity and do things to me that we'll both regret."

"I don't regret anything I've ever done with you," Andrew told her firmly. "Even the times you acted like a complete _shrew_ I don't regret. What I regret most are the chances we didn't take. The fact that things ended so quickly for me that I didn't even have time to come home and say goodbye to you."

"Well, you don't have to apologize for that," Amelia told him. "You're not the first person who's run off without so much as a 'Goodbye'. I'm used to it."

Andrew gave her a long look and even though he knew she'd struggle against him, pulled her to him and squeezed her hard.

Of course Amelia didn't hug back. She stood stiffly in his arms and then pushed him away. "That's enough," she said at last. "Don't you touch me like that."

"Why not?" Andrew asked and reached out to gently run his hand up her arm. "There was a time you really liked me touching you."

Amelia huffed and took a few steps away. "You're really stupid to keep going after me like this even when I've told you again and again to leave me alone."

Just then, there was a knock at the door. "Uncle Andrew?" Selina called after striding through Matthew's house looking for her uncle. "Are you in there?"

"Yes, my dear," Andrew called. "Perfect timing. Your mother was just begging me to leave her alone and now she gets her wish!" He then strode off through the wall, leaving Amelia alone, her mouth opening and closing in shock that he was actually daring to leave her at all.

* * *

"So you _have_ been reading your mother's journals?" Andrew smiled. "I'm glad. Have they been giving you a better understanding of why she is the way she is?"

"Yeah, they have," Selina nodded. "I was mad at her for all these years cause she treated me how she did, but when you compare it to how she was treated by my grandparents, I was on easy street."

"Now don't you go and say that," Andrew told her. "I remember what your childhood was like and just because the abuse you suffered wasn't as constant or the same type as your mother's doesn't mean it wasn't bad or you don't deserve to be upset about it. Did I tell you that I tried to get custody of you several times, but especially after your aunt passed away, it was even harder because your mother was still living."

"You did that for me?" Selina asked "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Andrew nodded. "I really _did_ try to make things better for you and your mother. But I failed in the end."

"Hey, don't bring yourself down like that," Selina told him. "Just the fact that you tried was a lot more than other people did."

Andrew chuckled. "I suppose," he said. "You really are something. And I mean that in a good way."

"I know," Selina told him. "Don't worry. What do you think we can do to cheer Mama up? Anything?"

Andrew sighed. "I don't know. I've tried everything I can think of. I think the only person who can help your mother now is your mother and when she'll decide to do that, I have no idea."

* * *

"You didn't have to do this, you know," Christine told Amanda as she and Matthew sat down at the restaurant table for a double date with her and Viktor. "I know this is probably kind of awkward for you."

"Honestly, it's not," Amanda assured her. "I know my mom and my grandma aren't giving you much of a break, so I thought I would."

"Well, that's very kind," Matthew smiled. "We're incredibly grateful."

They ordered drinks and then Matthew said to Viktor, "What is it that you do?"

"I teach," Viktor replied. "With the influx of hybrid supernatural children on the rise ever since my daughter passed a law that made interspecies marriages okay, we thought they needed a school that would support their needs because there just wasn't one."

"Is that so?" Matthew asked, looking very interested. 'What do you teach?"

"Lots of things," Viktor replied.

"He's very knowledgeable," Amanda added.

"That is so fascinating," Matthew replied. "I've never really had a traditional job myself. But I hunt. And in the past, I've raised horses."

"Well, I'm sure you did good for someone somewhere," Viktor smiled at him.

"I hope I did," Matthew said. "I want to do something more substantial, you know? I grew up rich so I never was told I needed a real education to learn a trade or something. Or just anything in general."

Amanda gasped and shook Viktor a little. "What if we told Astrid that school should have night classes for adults?" She asked. "I think that would be a good idea."

"I'll bring it up with her," Viktor nodded. "I think she'll go for it." He looked at Matthew. "Would that be something you'd be interested in?"

"Yes," Matthew said immediately. "It would take some getting used to because I haven't been to school in years, but…I think it would be worth it."

"And we could go buy your books together and I could give you pointers about how to get along with the other kids, and pick you up from school…" Christine smiled. "That would be weird, but I think I'd like it."

"And you would watch Zeke and Jack while I was gone and make sure they got all their exercise?" Matthew asked.

"Well, of course!" Christine nodded. "You don't have to worry about that."

"So we should talk to Astrid then?" Viktor asked.

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "Please do. And thank you."

"You're welcome," Viktor told him with a smile.

* * *

"I'm so glad you're excited about this school thing," Christine told Matthew as she watched him undress for bed while sitting on the mattress with the dark blue comforter over her lap. "I think it will be good for you."

"I'm surprised you're so into it," Matthew replied. "I thought school was one of your least favorite things."

"Well, I'm not the one who has to go this time," Christine pointed out. "It's you that has to suffer through long hours, boring lectures, lousy cafeteria food…"

"Oh, it can't be as bad as all that," Matthew told her. "I'm sure I'll find it fascinating."

"I'm sure you will too, but now I'm beginning to have terrible memories about school," Christine told him. "Could you do something to make them go away?"

"Sure, how about this?" Matthew asked and kissed her, breaking the kiss just for a moment as he tossed the comforter aside and then kissed her again, sliding her pajama shorts down her legs and throwing them over his shoulder before running his hands over Christine's body with gentle massaging motions as he kissed her neck, then helping her off with her top before gently sucking on one nipple than the other while Christine's breathing became heavy and moan escaped her lips. He took a deep breath and began kissing one side of her neck and gently massaging the other.

"You know," she said, still breathing hard. "I hope it feels this good when you bite me. I don't think it will.

Matthew laughed and then let her just lay there while he looked into her eyes. He took her hand, slowly massaged the inner part of her wrist in a circular motion, and then she spoke the words he'd been waiting for.

"Stop torturing me and just do it already!" Christine yelled, her back arching as her legs spread apart. He gave her a wicked grin which made her feel even hotter and then as he kissed her, he buried himself inside her while she threw her arms around his neck and didn't let go.


	46. Some Are Easier To Love Than Others

When Christine came into the kitchen, she saw Matthew avert his eyes and look down into his coffee cup while color filled his cheeks. "And just what's wrong with you?" She asked, coming to sit next to him and put a hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Matthew nodded. "I'm fine, I just…I would like to apologize for my behavior the other night. It was wrong and I should have done the respectful thing and waited until we were married. I behaved more like my rascal brother would."

"Oh, you mean the sex?" Christine asked. "Don't beat yourself up too bad. I liked seeing you enjoy yourself for once, even though you're beating yourself up about it now."

"Would it be really inconvenient for you to wait until we do it again?" Matthew asked and kissed her hand. "I know you think I'm being old fashioned and ridiculous, but…"

"I think no such thing," Christine replied and kissed him. "I like it. I like being treated like something valuable and special. Werewolves don't usually think that way, or at least the ones I've always known. I'd be happy to wait."

"Good," Matthew smiled and kissed her. "Thanks for understanding."

"No problem," Christine replied. "So…the school thing we talked to Amanda and Viktor about: do you really want to do it?"

"Of course I do," Matthew replied. "I'm actually not educated in a wide variety of things, and I wish I was. I mean, have you seen that my daughter has multiple degrees? I want that too."

"And I'm _glad_ you want that," Christine replied. "I'm proud of you. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm gonna do with the rest of _my_ life, because other than marrying you, which I'm assuming is gonna happen sometime because you said it was and I want it to happen just as much as you do, I don't have any idea what's coming next."

"Well, have you ever wanted to travel?" Matthew asked. "See the world and all that?"

"Sure," Christine nodded. "I think that could be fun. Do you think we could do it?"

"Why can't we?" Matthew wanted to know. "If you're worried about how Selina would take the news of me leaving, I'd keep in contact with her. You know, send her a post card every once in a while. But I want my focus to be on _us_ now. I know that might be hard to believe based on my past behavior, but I really mean it."

"Yeah," Christine nodded and kissed him. "I know you do."

Just then, Zeke started barking at the door and then Christine and Matthew watched as it opened and one of Matthew's hunting friends came in and took hold of the dog to make sure he didn't run out. "Sorry," he apologized when he saw the pair at the table. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Matthew shook his head. "You're right on time."

"Hello, Christine," the man, who was a lanky blond werewolf named Ted, said to her. "How are things going with your gun training?"

"I think I'm doing pretty well," Christine said. "Would it be a distraction for me to come with all of you and watch you do what you do?"

"I'm sure we could handle it," Ted replied and hitched up his pants. "In fact, we've been wondering for ages when you're gonna come out with us."

"Well, today could be the day," she replied. "Do you guys bring like, sandwiches and water and stuff? I'd be more than happy to make something up if you'd like."

"Oh, there's no need for that," Ted replied. "We usually just get waffles after."

"Waffles?" Christine asked in surprise. "Really? I wouldn't have thought that."

"Yep," Matthew nodded. "There's this really good waffle house close to the area where we go hunting. So we do our hunting, drop everything off, and then go have waffles. And the place has really good coffee too."

"Well, you learn something new every day," Christine said, still amazed that a bunch of grown men wanted to go to a waffle house after hunting. "That means I'm definitely coming though."

"Wonderful," Matthew smiled as he got up, grabbed his gun, and led both Zeke and Jack to his truck.

"Both deer _and_ rabbits today?" Christine asked. "How ambitious!"

"Not really," Matthew shook his head. "We're just gonna find what we find and we have a greater chance of actually catching something if I bring both dogs."

"That's a very good point," Christine replied. "Can I sit up front with you in the truck, or what sort of arrangements do you guys use?"

"Well," Matthew replied, "We take my friend Tom's truck because he has he has a trailer that he's made into a cooler to put the bigger carcasses in, and I have a cooler for the smaller ones, since it's mostly Jack's rabbits that get put in it." Then he winced. "You probably didn't need to know that part."

"Eh," Christine shrugged. "Whatever. I can handle it."

* * *

So they waited until everyone else arrived and then headed out to the woods with Christine sitting in the front next to Tom (everyone had wanted to sit by her, so they picked numbers and he was the closest) and then when they got there, she followed him as he hunted. Jack was more on his game that day, so Matthew ended up with a cooler full of rabbit (which he loved) and then they dropped everything off at Ted's cause it was his turn to be the prep location, and then they headed to the waffle house, where Matthew finally got to sit next to Christine.

* * *

"What do you want from me?" Andrew asked Amelia in irritation. "Every time I want to get close to you, you shoo me away, and when I leave, you get mad and yell at me for abandoning you. Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it!"

Amelia just glared at him. "If you can't figure it out, that's not my problem!"

Andrew growled and rolled his eyes. He pulled her to him and did the whistle that used to be their code to tell her he was coming and then looked in her eyes.

"You do much better with that now," Amelia told him. "It doesn't sound like a dead bird anymore." Then, she took a deep breath, and to his surprise, hugged him back, even if it was only briefly. Then she stepped away from him and headed over to a corner while trying not to look at him.

"And what just motivated your highness to touch me?" Andrew asked in genuine surprised. "What have I done to be so singularly blessed?"

"Oh, be quiet!" Amelia shouted. "Go away. What I just did doesn't mean anything and don't think it's going to happen again!"

"I don't!" Andrew shouted. "Don't you worry about that. And does what you're so mad about have to do with me giving Selina your diary?"

"Yes, damn it!" Amelia shouted. "You don't just give other peoples' diaries away!"

"What's so wrong with me giving that to your daughter and helping her understand why you act so horribly all the time?" Andrew cried. "I want to bring the two of you together again, like when she was little and you'd come over to see her when she was with Abby and me and her little face would just light up when she saw you and she'd hold out her chubby little arms and it was like she was seeing her favorite person in the world. And you'd act the same way. But now you can't even be in the same room as her. What's going on?"

"I lost her at some point. She started spitting on everything I believed in," Amelia replied. "I bet that when she reads what I put in that diary, all she's going to do is laugh cause I'm just a stupid person who cares too much about what society things and can't control her own life."

"I'm sure she wouldn't think that," Andrew replied, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but not actually doing it. "I think she'd have more sympathy than that."

"I don't think so," Amelia replied resolutely.

Andrew sighed then and said, "Would you like me to stay with you?"

"Do what you want," Amelia shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me."

So Andrew stayed for a little while, and even though she didn't say it out loud, Andrew was sure she was grateful for it.

* * *

When he finally was able to pull himself away from Amelia, Andrew went to check on his niece again and found her curled up in a ball in her bed. It looked like she'd been crying.

"What's the matter?" Andrew asked. "Are you all right?"

"I remember everything," Selina told him. "I was reading more of Mama's diary and I remember when I lived with you and Aunt Abigail."

"You do?" Andrew asked.

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "I think I do. I was always really happy to see Mama when I was little, wasn't I?"

"Yes," Andrew nodded. "And she was always so happy to see you. I would watch you two and hope that what went on between her and her own mother wouldn't be repeated and for a few years, it was true, even without Matthew around. Then it just went wrong I guess."

"Well," Selina sniffled, "When I was five, I nearly turned into a werewolf, and Mama's friend Charlotte died, and that was bad enough. But when I was ten, it got even worse."

"That was the year_ I_ died," Andrew told her. "Shot to death during a poker game. But that couldn't have affected your mother so badly…could it?"

"I think it could have," Selina nodded. "And I have memories of Mama's clingy behavior to prove it. She always acted annoyed by me all the time and then when I didn't want to be around her, she'd get all offended."

"She does that with me, too," Andrew said. "Except for sometimes. Then she surprises me." He chuckled without humor. "You know, part of why she didn't want me giving you her diary was that she thought you'd read about her life and laugh about it because she thinks you're stronger than she is, and that you just view her as a fool who lets others control her life."

"Well, it's not _entirely_ true," Selina replied. "I mean, sure there are times that I resent the fact that she couldn't just stand up for herself, and that need to look good in front of other people made her ruin her life as well as mine, but _I_ grew up with her parents too, and I guess…I guess on some level, I understand what she's going through and I can't fault her for it, even though it frustrates me."

"I think I'll tell her that," Andrew smiled a little as he pushed her hair out of her eyes and wiped a tear from her face. "She might be glad to hear it. Who knows?"

* * *

"I think you need to stop reading your mother's diary," Elijah told Selina as they got ready for bed that night. "I can't remember when something upset you that much."

"I know, but I think that it's important that I keep reading it cause it's making me realize things about my own life," Selina explained. "You remember how long it took me to solely commit to you?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "It took until I threatened to leave you for good and take the children with me."

"Yes, well…" Selina sighed. "I think the reason why I've always had such trouble with commitment is that I'm like my mother. She gave up having a life of her own because she grew up in a world where being a wife and a mother was the only real thing you could be if you were a woman and if you tried to do anything else, people would scorn you. When you first gave me the rules for our being together, you know…cutting down on my drinking, stopping smoking and stopping actual hunting, it really freaked me out. Those were the three things that I considered vital to my own individuality, and here you were asking me to give them up. I had this terrible fear that if I committed to you, I would end up like my mother: with an identity solely as a wife and mother and no outside interests at all. So my solution was to not make a definite choice. To try and have both as long as I could get away with it, even if it made everyone miserable.

"You know I've been around a long time. Not as long as you, but a while. And I've had both lives, so to speak. In the time I was helping Damon's and my first son and his wife raise their children, that was my thing. Even though I was so young, no man saw me as an available person. My children and grandchildren loved me to death, and on some level, that was satisfying…but every man would see either the kids or my daylight ring, assume I was already married, and run the other way. Then in the twenties, of course, I had the relationships, but not the long-term love, you know?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "I do, honestly."

Selina then reached out and touched his cheek. "But you really surprised me, you know? I mean, sure we still fight about some things, but…I do still have sense of self, and I don't think I could have found someone better to love me, so…thank you. I love you very much. I don't think I say that enough and I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize," Elijah replied, taking her in his arms and kissing her hair. "I love you too."

**A/n: to the guest reviewer who requests I write Kalijah fictions: I have two: one is a one-shot called "For Richer Or Poorer" which is Kalijah in a fairy tale setting, and a full length story called "Kindred Spirits" which is about Elijah buying a castle haunted by ghost Katherine and also features the Klaroline pairing. And although Kalijah IS canon in my Selijah stories, they were only together in the past, but now Elijah is married to my OC Selina and Katherine is married to another OC of mine, Gregory, so there will be no Kalijah pairing in the present for my Selina stories. I hope you read the Kalijah fictions though so you can get what you want. :)**


	47. Not Quite Ready

"I can't believe our wedding is almost here!" Amanda said as she looked at the calendar where she'd been crossing off days. "Just a month away. It seems too soon, doesn't it? Not that I'm complaining of course cause I could marry you tomorrow…but there's still so much we have to do!"

"True, but luckily we have Astrid and Alistair helping us," Viktor reminded her. "Are you sure there isn't anything I can do? I ask Astrid and she's always telling me that you two have it under control."

"Well, have you decided on your look for the masque ball theme?" Amanda asked. "You could work on that."

"No, I think that'll be easy," Viktor replied. "I just need a purple tie and mask to match your dress, don't I?"

"Sure, if that's what you want," Amanda nodded. "But you don't have to be quite so restrained if you don't wanna be. Do you think Alistair and Astrid will like our little surprise? Or do you think they'll hate it?"

"Oh, I think they'll like it," Viktor assured her. "How could they not?"

"Well, some people don't like surprises," Amanda replied. "Do you think I should just tell them?"

"If it will make you feel better to gauge their reaction, I don't think it would hurt," Alistair replied. "Why don't I come with you?"

"All right," Amanda nodded. "If you're sure you have your costume in line. Maybe Astrid will be able to convince you to do something more exciting."

"You're probably right," Victor nodded as they headed out to his car.

* * *

"Okay, tell me again, just so I can understand this," Astrid said after Amanda had told her what she and Viktor wanted to do. "You want me and Alistair to marry at your wedding? But why? It's your day!"

"I know, but without you, it wouldn't be possible," Amanda replied. "You and Alistair have worked so hard to help us and we just wanted to say 'Thank you'. I know the story that you and he have where you went off to be in WWII, and then you were separated for all those years and when you met again, you were still just as in love as ever. That deserves to be acknowledged, and we wouldn't feel like you were stepping on our toes at all."

"Thank you," Astrid said gratefully. "That…that's very sweet of you. But we're not gonna have time to get a whole new set of decorations and…"

"We told Helene and Adrian about this," Amanda replied, smiling and putting a hand on Astrid's. "Your daughter has your portion of everything all under control."

"Well, good," Astrid smiled. "Thank you so much for letting Alistair and I have this part of your day. It's just…I can't even express how wonderful it's gonna be."

"Just don't go telling Alistair," Viktor told her with a wink. "We want at least _one_ person to be surprised."

"Oh, I won't tell him," Astrid promised. "And you know, I think I still have my first wedding dress. I'll have to go see if it fits. It's much prettier than what I wore for the reenactment I showed you guys. I can't wait to see the look on Alistair's face when he sees me!" She ran off, full of excitement.

"You think we're doing a good thing?" Viktor asked Amanda.

"Yes," Amanda nodded and squeezed his hand. "I really think we are."

* * *

Since Amanda and Astrid were taking over the wedding planning themselves, that left Selina and Elijah to keep each other calm.

"How are you doing?" Selina asked as she noticed the little calendar with crossed out days on Elijah's desk. "You doing okay now that the wedding is coming closer?"

"Yes," Elijah nodded. "Or at least I'm trying. How about you?"

"Oh, I'm fine," Selina replied. "The wedding doesn't bother me."

"I wasn't talking about the wedding," Elijah told her. "That's _my_ problem. How are things with you, and your father, and Christine?"

"I've been avoiding that situation," Selina replied. "Dealing with my mother is less painful, and that is something I never thought I'd say. But I guess since I _do_ want Daddy to be happy, I have to deal with it sometime."

"It's like pulling off a bandage," Elijah told her. "Once you just get it over with, you'll feel better. Do you want to go over and see him now?"

"Fine, but I think I need a drink first," Selina replied.

"Ah-ah," Elijah shook his head and guided her away from the cabinet. "That's not how we solve our problems…remember?"

"It might not be how _you_ deal with your problems, but I need a little Dutch courage," Selina told him. "I won't take much. I promise."

"All right," Elijah replied as he stepped back a little. "Just don't go getting yourself drunk and make things worse than they already are."

To his relief, Selina only took one swig of vodka (even though it was a big swig) put the bottle down, and then headed for the car. "Will you be all right driving?" Elijah called after her.

"Yeah," Selina called back. "I'll be fine. Don't worry."

* * *

Elijah was not reassured though, and ended up driving Selina over to Matthew's, walking her to the door, and then waiting in the car while Selina went in to talk to her father.

"Hello, darlin'!" Matthew said with a smile as he gave her a hug. "I'm so glad to see you! Why don't you sit down? Can I get you anything?"

"I think I need to eat something," Selina replied. "Is Christine here?"

"Yes, she's here," Matthew nodded. "What do you want to eat?"

"Anything you have," Selina replied. "Except for the black licorice. I don't know how you can eat that." She shuddered.

"Well, I just think it's tasty," Matthew replied and then made her a sandwich with some turkey lunch meat, lettuce, and mayonnaise. "Will this be good enough?" He asked as he put it on a plate with some potato chips.

"Yes, that will be perfect," Selina smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Matthew replied and sat next to her just as Christine came back from giving Zeke and Jack their walks.

"Selina!" She said and smiled. "What a nice surprise. We weren't expecting you today."

"'_We'?" _Selina repeated as Matthew put a restraining hand on her arm. She then cleared her throat and said, "I mean, I thought I'd come over and surprise you. As you two know, your relationship has been…difficult for me to deal with, but I've been trying really hard to come to terms with it, and since all I want is for you to be happy, Daddy, I-I give you two my blessing to be with each other."

"You _do_?" Matthew asked, feeling very surprised. "That's very generous of you. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," Selina replied and then ate her sandwich while Christine added thanks of her own.

"I know our relationship has been tough," she said. "I'm evidence that your husband was unfaithful to you and now I'm dating your father. You've been remarkably tolerant of all this and of me, and I just…I'm very thankful to have someone like you in my life."

"No problem," Selina replied, her mouth full of sandwich. Once all her food was gone and the plate was empty and placed in the sink, she said, "Thanks for the snack, Daddy. Elijah's in the car waiting for me. He probably thinks I've killed you all by now and I bet if I don't leave soon, he's gonna come storming in here."

Matthew got up then, leaving Christine on the sofa and giving his daughter a long hug. "All right," he said. "You go to your husband. But I hope I see you again soon, all right? I love you very much, and I want you here."

"I know," Selina told him. "Thank you very much for telling me that." She then waved goodbye to Christine before heading out to meet Elijah as he shut the car door and made his way to the house, presumably to retrieve her and see the body count. But when she met him, he just took her hand, brought her back to the car, and as Matthew looked out the window, they drove away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Selina was not the only one needing a drink to help deal with Matthew and Christine.

"Look at those two over there, being so happy!" Amelia sneered while she and Andrew stared at them as they made out on the sofa after Selina had left. "They make me sick just looking at them."

"What is your problem?" Andrew asked. "Has your policy _always_ been that if you're gonna be unhappy then everyone else around you has to be too?"

"Well, why does _she_ get to be happy with Matthew when I didn't get to be?" Amelia asked. "Tell me that."

"What happened with you and my brother was terrible luck," Andrew told her. "It wasn't fair to you, or to your daughter, but it happened and Selina has come out of it a lot better than you have. If she can move on, why can't you?"

"Oh, really, Andrew!" Amelia said. "In order to move on, I'd have to have someone to move on _with_ and I don't. I just…don't." Her face changed to an expression of sadness as Matthew and Christine kissed. As tears rolled down Amelia's cheeks, Andrew slipped his hand into hers and squeezed tightly so she couldn't let go.

It took some time for Amelia to realize that Andrew was holding her hand, but when she did, she tried to pull away, and ended up in his arms instead. He looked into her blue eyes for a long time and with an intensity that made her blush before he leaned forward and his lips met hers in kiss as one of his hands left her waist and ended up into her hair to play with her blonde curls, while his other hand stayed where it was and held Amelia close. When Andrew finally pulled away, she slapped him, pushed him away, and then began to stride off. When she was some distance away, she suddenly paused, turned around, stomped back, grabbed him, and kissed him hard and long before leaving for good as a stunned Andrew put his fingers to his lips and looked after her in wonder.

* * *

"I saw that," Charlotte said with a smirk from the bed as Amelia came into her bedroom and shut the door.

"Saw what?" Amelia huffed. "And where have you been? It's been a _nightmare_ dealing with Andrew all by myself."

"I don't think so," Charlotte replied. "That's why I left. You like him even though you won't admit it to yourself and the last thing you need is to have me around so you can use me as an excuse to get out of making a commitment."

"Oh, yes, you think I like him just because we kissed?" Amelia scoffed. "That doesn't mean anything. Hell, people can lie with each other now without it meaning anything. That's exactly what's going on with me and Andrew."

"Seriously now, though," Charlotte told her, voice firm. "I know you liked Andrew once. _You_ know you liked Andrew once. You told me when you were a teenager that you were going to run off with him."

"Well, I was young and stupid then and when Mother told me not to, she was right," Amelia got out.

"No, she was _not_!" Charlotte cried in exasperation, balling up her fist as if she wanted to punch Amelia in the face but deciding to shake her instead. "Damn it, Amelia! Use your brain and make your own choices for once in your life! Why is it so hard for you to admit that you like Andrew when I know you do? And_ you_ know you do too, you just don't want to admit it?"

"Well, what if he leaves again?" Amelia got out. "You know what happened last time I opened up to him? He went off to gamble and got himself killed, that's what! And that was the second time something like that happened to me. I can't take it anymore, Charlotte. I just can't!"

"I know where you're coming from," Charlotte told her. "But do you really want to be miserable just to keep your heart safe? Or do you want to take a risk and be happy?"

"Why are you asking that?" Amelia wanted to know. "You know the answer. I want Matthew back. I deserve that."

Charlotte just gave her a long look, rolled her eyes, and disappeared while Amelia sat on her bed, as resolute and stubborn as ever, and prepared to rebuke Andrew if he ever came looking for her. If she wanted to initiate things with him, she would. But not now. She clearly wasn't ready.


	48. Teaching A Hard Lesson

"I have a question," Alistair said to Elijah as they drank in the library. "Has Astrid talked to you about any secrets she might be keeping? I have a feeling she knows something I don't. Every time she sees me, she blushes and starts giggling, but when I ask her what's going on, she won't tell me."

"Oh, I have no idea," Elijah replied, taking another swig from the bottle of beer that he held tight in his hand. "Maybe Selina knows. Ask her."

So Alistair left Elijah's office and went in search of Selina, but then groaned cause she was sitting with his wife.

"Well, you're usually so happy to see me," Astrid remarked. "What's the matter?"

"What secret are you hiding?" Alistair wanted to know. "Will you tell me, please?"

"He doesn't know?" Selina asked. "You didn't tell him about it?"

"No," Astrid shook his head. "Daddy, Amanda, and I felt someone needed to still be surprised and he's it."

"Well, I'm sure he'll be really surprised when he sees how pretty you are, then," Selina told her.

"I hope he will be," Astrid replied. "That's part of the point of all this. I want it to be as good of a day for him as it is for me."

"So don't you go telling him, please," Selina requested of Elijah. "I know you two are talking to each other."

"Can I at least tell him that the secret you're keeping is about the wedding?" Elijah asked. "He's beginning to get nervous!"

"Fine, you can tell him that the secret we're keeping from him is about the wedding, but please don't tell him anything else," Astrid requested.

So Elijah strode back to Alistair and said, "Well, they won't let me tell you what the secret is except to say that it's nothing bad and has to do with the wedding. Do you feel better now? I hope so, because there's no more information I can give you."

"Well, as long as it's nothing bad, I think I'll be all right," Alistair told him. "Thanks for the help, my friend."

Elijah clinked his bottle against Alistair's. "Any time, my friend. Any time."

* * *

"You're being very good about the wedding," Amanda told her father as they headed to the last stop of the day they were spending together before she took him to her sister Laura's. "Thank you. But if you're feeling stress, you can tell me."

"Oh, it's nothing, I promise," Elijah told her. "Sure, once it's all over, it'll just be your mother and I at home and you'll probably be so busy with your own lives that we'll only see you at Christmas and your birthday, but that's fine. You're a grown woman. You deserve to have a life of your own."

"I won't abandon you forever, I promise," Amanda swore. Then she looked around the antique store for some candelabras or something else that could be used for centerpieces at a masquerade ball. "I'll come back, I promise. And even when I'm not around, you still have all the others. I'm sure Laura would be happy to stop by."

"Yes, I suppose so," Elijah replied. "And it_ has_ been some time since I last saw her. I wonder if Elizabeth and Charlie finally adopted their baby?"

"Well, after I get my candelabras, we can go and see if you want," Amanda replied. So they searched around and finally found a set of five silver candelabras that held five candles each. "Do you really think we'll need that many candles?" Elijah asked.

"Well, we won't need to actually put lit candles in them," Amanda replied. "I was thinking we could set them out without candles just for atmosphere."

"Ah," Elijah nodded. "All right." He then found a few gold ones too, and then after they'd paid for them and put them in the trunk of Amanda's car, they headed for Laura's.

* * *

"Hey, you two!" Laura brightly greeted her father and sister when she opened the front door. "I wondered when you were going to get here."

"You knew we were coming?" Elijah asked in amazement.

"Yeah," Laura replied. "Amanda told me that you were having some trouble facing her wedding coming and asked me if she could bring you over after you picked up wedding decorations. And since it's my off day, of course I told her that she could bring you right over."

"It's so nice to see the two of you getting along," Elijah smiled as they headed inside. "Laura, I remember when you didn't like her very much."

"It was just a phase," Laura told Amanda quickly. "I promise."

"I know," Amanda replied. "I'm not mad at you."

"Good," Laura nodded, and then turned to her father. "So…what can I do to ease your mind, Daddy?"

"Could you tell me if Charlie and Elizabeth have adopted their baby yet?" Elijah asked.

"Yes, they have, actually," Laura nodded. "It's a little boy. They named him Christopher Gregory Mikaelson. He's the sweetest little thing. A really calm kid, which is really good for Elizabeth, if you ask me. I've always found her a bit high-strung."

"I hope you're not trying to start fights with her or her mother," Elijah said.

"Oh, no, I'm not," Laura assured him. "For the sake of family harmony, I'm keeping my mouth shut. But _still_…"

There was an awkward silence while Amanda tried to think of a way to change the subject. Then, her phone rang. She talked a little bit and then put her phone down on her shoulder. "It's Astrid and she needs me to come and check on something. Do you mind?"

"No, of course not," Laura shook her head. "You go. I'll look after Daddy and bring him home."

"All right," Amanda replied and kissed Elijah's cheek before she got in her car and drove to Astrid and Alistair's, leaving Laura and Elijah alone to chat in the hope that her older sister would make their father feel better.

* * *

"I think we should elope," Christine told Matthew as they rode their horses. "When you and I finally get around to getting married, I mean."

"Elope?" Matthew asked in surprise. "Isn't that a bit impersonal?"

"I'm only suggesting it for practical reasons," Christine replied. "Can't you totally see Amelia trying to stop things if we have a big to-do with the expectation that that's where we'll marry? If we trick her, have a private wedding first and _then_ do a repeat for show, then we can have it both ways without problems. But no, I don't think it would be impersonal to just do something for ourselves at least once consider how many people are rooting for us to fail."

"You have a good point," Matthew replied. "It's definitely something to think about, especially since Charlotte told me that Amelia's still stubbornly refusing to move on from me, even though _I _clearly have from her."

"Well, good," Christine nodded. "We don't have to think of it anymore now, especially since you haven't even formally proposed to me yet (sorry if it feels like I'm being a bit presumptuous that way) but I just thought I'd bring it up."

"And I'm glad you did," Matthew nodded. "I really am."

"You don't think I'm being too presumptuous because I brought it up even though you haven't said anything?" Christine asked.

"No," Matthew shook his head. "The only reason why I haven't brought it up is because I want to make sure you're absolutely ready before I do. I know this isn't a time where it's customary for women to marry young and I don't want to impose that on you."

Christine smiled. "How can you be so sweet?" She asked. "Really, tell me."

Matthew shrugged. "I don't know. I'm the same as I've always been. I'm not doing anything different."

"Wow, really?" Christine shook her head in amazement. "I guess I'm just really lucky then."

"So am I," Matthew told her and reached out to touch her hand. They drove back to the stables and dropped off Christine's horse and then she got on Matthew's and as he put his arms around her waist and his lips against her ear, he asked, "Do you think you can steer, or do you need me to?"

"No, I can steer," Christine assured him. "But if you want to keep nibbling on my ear like you're doing, you can keep doing that."

"Yes, ma'am," Matthew replied. "Whatever you want."

They rode for a little bit and stopped off at a lake to give the horse time to drink while Christine slipped off her boots and socks. "These are a little tight," she explained to Matthew. "I knew I should have gotten them a size bigger. I mean, it's not horribly painful, but…" she put her feet in the cool water and Matthew came to sit beside her while she soaked them.

"We'll put them in the saddle bag so you don't have to wear them on the way back," he told her.

"Thanks," Christine replied. "If you're okay with me being barefoot, I can go with that."

"I am," Matthew assured her, then picked her up and put her on the horse as she headed away from the water.

They rode to the stables, dropped the horse off, and then Matthew carried Christine to his car and then in the house when they got home.

"I realize you know how to walk," he told her after laying her down on the sofa. "I just didn't want you to hurt your feet."

"Thank you," Christine smiled. "And I wasn't planning on complaining at all. Believe me. Now, I have one more thing I need you to do for me."

"Oh, yeah?" Matthew asked. "And what's that?"

Christine sat up and held out her arms, a big smile on her face. "Come over here and kiss me."

Matthew smiled. "I think I can handle that," he told her, then took her in his arms and kissed her as she ran her fingers through his hair.

* * *

"Just think," Andrew told Amelia as they watched his brother. "You could have that."

"Yes," Amelia stiffened. "All I'd have to do is get Christine out of the way and I could."

"No, I don't mean with him!" Andrew cried impatiently. "I mean with _me_!"

Amelia gave him a look like he'd just stripped off his clothes and started doing a goofy dance in front of her. "What?" She asked.

"Well, Matthew isn't an option anymore, no matter how much you've deluded yourself into thinking he is," Andrew told her. "But I'm here, and I'm not seeing anyone. At least not for now, anyway."

"And see, that's exactly why I'm not taking you up on any of your offers," Amelia told him. "You make no guarantee of anything! You're thinking of other women all the time-"

"No, I'm not!" Andrew interrupted. "I think of you to the point where I feel like a fool because I'm letting some woman who clearly doesn't care about me at all but just herself consume me. I try and I try and I'm met with nothing but negativity in response. How long do you expect me to wait for you to make up your mind?"

"I-I don't know!" Amelia replied.

"Just do what you want, Andrew," Charlotte told him. "She's not going to decide in your favor, so you might as well make _yourself_ happy because there's no pleasing her."

"Excuse me?" Amelia cried. "Why are you turning on me too, Charlotte? I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your friend," Charlotte told her. "I've watched you mess yourself up in every way possible, watched this prince of a man trip over himself to make you happy and make you realize that you are loved, and it's just...it's all come to nothing. We can't make the decision for you. The only time you act like anyone in your life has value is when you don't have them around anymore. So we'll just leave and give you time to think about who your real friends are. Hopefully you'll come around, but if not, I guess this is goodbye."

Andrew headed over next to Charlotte and Amelia's jaw dropped as they both faded away.

"Do we really have to do this?" Andrew asked when they had left. "I know she's been cruel, but it doesn't feel right."

"Trust me," Charlotte told him, her voice firm. "It won't be forever, but it's the only way she'll learn."


	49. Holding Onto What's Mine

"Now be careful tonight," Viktor warned Amanda. "I don't want to step on your toes about this, but don't drink too much, okay? It's not worth what will happen to you tomorrow."

"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," Amanda assured him. "My party is gonna be alcohol free."

"It is?" Viktor asked in surprise. "Why?"

"Cause Cousin Mary's pregnant and I didn't want to make her feel excluded cause she can't drink," Amanda replied. "And I never liked drinking too much anyway."

"What about the other thing?" Viktor asked, blushing a little.

"What other thing?" Amanda asked.

"The thing with the man who comes and he's not wearing much and…" As Viktor trailed off, his face was bright red with embarrassment.

"Oh, you mean a _stripper_?" Amanda asked while Viktor nodded, his gaze averted. "Don't worry, we aren't having one of those either. Just a lot of fun that is not particularly of the adult type, cause that's how I roll."

"All right," Victor breathed a sigh of relief. "I hope you and the other ladies have a good time."

"Of course we will," Amanda told him. "Cause that's what happens when you put me in charge of things. You're having a party too, right?"

"Yes, but you don't have to worry, either," Viktor promised. "I'll have the utmost control over myself."

"Oh, don't you dare!" Amanda replied. "If you wanna have fun, go have fun. I'm not worried. In fact, I hope Uncle Klaus is gonna be at this party, cause I know for sure that he'll try and get you to have fun."

"Yeah," Viktor nodded and shuddered a little. "That's exactly what I'm nervous about."

* * *

"So _where_ exactly is it that you're having this party?" Selina asked as she helped Elijah with his tie before he had to leave for Viktor's bachelor party. "I take it that you aren't having it at Roxie's since you told me it's gonna take a while for you to get to the location."

"Oh, no," Elijah shook his head. "Can you just imagine Viktor and me there?"

"Well, I know I don't have to imagine _you_ there," Selina replied. "I've lived that and I've heard enough stories from when I _wasn't_ there to know that it's not your place or Viktor's either. So what are you doing instead?"

"There is a gentleman's club a few hours from here that your uncle, of all people, recommended to me," Elijah replied. "I looked the place over and it seemed acceptable."

"You let _Uncle Andrew_ pick the place of the party?" Selina asked in surprise. "Well, I shouldn't be surprised since he's something of a _bon vivant_. Or would 'was' be a more appropriate term? I don't know. Will there be scantily clad women at this party?"

"If there are do you think I would go near them?" Elijah asked,

"I hope not," Selina replied. "But don't worry; I won't get upset about this. I promise."

"Good," Elijah nodded, taking her in his arms and giving her a kiss. "Because you know it doesn't mean anything, right? You _know _there's no one in the world I love more than you."

"I know," Selina nodded. "But thank you for telling me. And I'm prepared for the fact that you might come home drunk. If you need me to come and pick you up because everyone is inebriated, don't be afraid to give me a call. Cause I will come and pick you up."

"Thank you," Elijah said gratefully. "Although I'm certain we'll have some sort of limousine on hand, it's good to have you as a back up."

"Yeah," Selina nodded. "And it's fortunate that Amanda's party is alcohol-free because Mary's gonna be there and she can't drink cause she's pregnant. It'll keep me more alert for your sake. Although I might be a little hyper when I come and pick you up."

"Better hyper than drunk," Elijah told her. They then took deep breaths, looked in the mirror, and then grabbed hands.

"Good luck, soldier," Selina told Elijah.

"You too," Elijah replied. They gave each other one more kiss, then marched out to their cars to go have quite an evening.

* * *

"You came!" Klaus cried when he met Elijah at the door of the club and ushered him inside. "I really didn't think you would."

"Why wouldn't I?" Elijah asked. "Viktor's my friend. He spends more time with me than he does with you."

"Well, I just thought that what this event is celebrating would be a bit of a sore spot for you," Klaus told him. "But obviously I was wrong."

"Yes you were," Elijah replied. "I came to terms with Viktor and Amanda's marriage a long time ago."

"That's good," Klaus smiled. "You can enjoy yourself tonight, then." He brought Elijah to a table where scantily clad women kept pushing drinks in Viktor's direction and since he was not the sort to refuse that, especially if offered to him by a woman (because he was nice, not because he was a drunk) he was already well on his way to becoming completely inebriated.

"What in the hell have you done to him?" Elijah said to Klaus in shock.

"The same thing that I hope happens to you," Klaus said jovially. "That's what this night is for, after all: to give Viktor a last night of freedom before he gets married."

"Be careful how you say that," Elijah told him firmly. "Remember that he's marrying my daughter, and Amanda isn't some controlling shrew."

"Oh, yes, I know," Klaus replied, brushing off Elijah's words. "Come on, have a drink. You look like you could use one. Or many, as the case may be."

Elijah sighed and whispered an apology to his wife before Klaus sat him down at a table and another scantily clad woman offered him a drink. "Okay," he said. "I suppose one wouldn't hurt. But that's all I can have." He took up the cup and put it to his lips just as a woman came around with cigars and the evening's entertainment began, causing Elijah to lose most of his train of thought while his eyes were glued to the stage and he (like all the other men) took every drink that was pushed his way.

* * *

"You know, Mom," Amanda said to Selina as they all sat around her and Viktor's living room with a tub full of different colors of yarn and attempted (in most cases) to knit things. "Knitting is a very calming activity. I'm glad you offered to teach us how to do it."

"You're welcome," Selina replied. "And just what are you trying to knit?"

"A hat," Amanda said in frustration, shaking the tiny red thing she held aloft. "But as you can see, it's not going very well."

"Of course it is," Mary said. "That hat's just the right size for a baby. I'll take it."

"Thanks, but you really don't have to in order to spare my feelings," Amanda told her.

"I'm not," Mary replied. "I really want it."

"You do?" Amanda asked. "All right. Now I feel better about it. Thanks." She gave Mary a smile, asked her mother to help her finish with the hat, and then, when it was done, she handed it over to Mary.

"There you go," she said. "I hope it keeps your child's head warm."

"Oh, I'm sure it will," Mary said. She then got to her feet and said, "I'm getting another cupcake. Anyone want anything while I'm up?"

"No, thanks!" The other women called after her. Then Astrid said, "Why don't you come and sit down, Mary. We can get it for you."

"That's very sweet, but I have to move around while I still can," Mary told her. "Soon I'll be too fat to move, and _then_ I can, in good conscience, let people do everything for me. But now it's too early."

They continued to knit, drink punch, and do each other's nails, and then, just as Selina's nails were done, her cell phone rang.

"Damn, that's probably Elijah telling me he's too horribly drunk to drive himself home," She said. "Amanda, my nails are wet. Can you get that?"

"Sure," Amanda replied, grabbing her mother's phone and pressing the button. "Daddy, do you need Mom to come pick you up cause you're drunk?"

"Yes, I do," Elijah replied, his voice very slurred. "And Selina, that is a very good impression of Amanda that you're doing. You should go on the stage!"

"Daddy, this _is_ Amanda," Amanda told him. "Just how much have you had to drink tonight?"

There was a crash on the other end and Amanda cried, "Oh, my god! What just happened? Daddy, are you okay?"

"Yeah," Elijah replied. "I just fell down."

"Well, maybe you shouldn't walk around anymore," Amanda replied. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"All right," Elijah replied. "I'll go sit down. But I need someone to help me find a chair. And would you tell your mother I'm ready to come home?"

"Oh, I definitely will," Amanda replied. "Don't worry." She ended the call and told her mother, "Dad sounds pretty wasted. You might want to get down to that party and retrieve him before he hurts himself."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Selina nodded. Then she went and stuck her fingers in some ice water to dry them before getting in the car and driving to the club where Elijah pounced on her, reeking of alcohol and laughing like a hyena.

"You know, you're very pretty," he said as he pushed her against the wall and planted sloppy kisses on her face.

"Thank you," Selina replied, trying to keep him at a distance. "Now, why don't we get you home so you can lie down?"

"All right," Elijah agreed. "But only if you come to bed with me."

Selina then frowned at Klaus as he approached them with a smirk on his face. "You're welcome," he said.

"What am I welcome for?" Selina asked. "What have you done to your brother?"

"I just helped him have a little fun," Klaus said. "It happens so rarely."

Selina rolled her eyes. "Does Viktor need a ride home too?"

"Alistair said he would take him," Klaus replied. "You and Elijah have a good night now."

Selina rolled her eyes and took Elijah out to her car where, just to get it out of his system, they made out in the backseat for a bit, and then once he was asleep, she drove him home, put him to bed, and then, after watching some TV, spent the night in the spare bedroom so Elijah would actually sleep like he was supposed to and not spend the night trying to feel her up.

* * *

"So…" Amelia asked Charlotte after Andrew's first date with his new woman. "What sort of woman did Andrew pick when he went out?"

"I don't know," Charlotte replied. "And don't you go asking him. It's none of your business."

"How is it none of my business?" Amelia asked. "She could be a bad influence on him! At least with me, I could help him be a better person, but her…who knows?"

"I think someone is _jealous_!" Charlotte smiled. "He's been on just _one _outing with another woman and it's driving you crazy, isn't it?"

"No," Amelia replied. "Of course not!"

But then Andrew showed up with a woman on his arm. She was cute, blonde, and tiny with big blue eyes, and wore a short dress that was green with a matching cloche hat.

"Who the hell are you?" Amelia greeted her.

"I'm Alice!" The woman chirped. "I was showing Matthew the speakeasy. What's your name?"

"This is Amelia," Andrew said and tried to hurry her away. "We're not good enough to speak to her. Come on, sweetheart."

But despite how much he pulled, Alice refused to come with him and just stayed to talk. "So how'd you die?" She asked Amelia. "I got shot during a raid. Speakeasies are full of illegal liquor you know. Damn those policemen for always putting their noses in where they don't belong and always ruining people's good times."

"I was murdered," Amelia said stiffly. "That's all you need to know. Now go away, please."

"Not a very friendly type, is she?" Alice asked as she went with Andrew right through the wall of Amelia's bedroom. "She seems like she could really use a drink."

"That's not a good idea," Andrew replied. "She's actually kind of a mean drunk. And by 'kind of' I mean _really_."

Just then, they ran into Matthew who was visibly shivering. "What's going on?" He asked. "Christine is freezing downstairs."

"Sorry, Matthew," Andrew apologized. "I brought a new friend with me and she wanted to show herself to Amelia." Then he and Alice both appeared to Matthew and Andrew said, "Alice, this is my brother. Matthew, this is Alice. She died in that old speakeasy downtown."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you," Matthew replied, trying to stop his jaw from dropping or showing disapproval about his thirty-year-old brother dating a girl who looked like she was just a teenager. "I hope you like gamblers cause that's what you'll get with my brother."

"Oh, I _love_ gamblers!" Alice replied and got closer to Andrew so she could give him a kiss on the cheek. They're such exciting types!"

"Andrew, can we talk a moment?" He asked his brother.

"Yes," Andrew said, excusing himself and promising Alice he would be back. He and Matthew then headed a distance away from Alice and Matthew said in a hushed voice, "What are you playing at, Andrew? She's a child! She can't be more than eighteen! And you're a grown man!"

"I don't think it's your place to scold me for this," Andrew told him, a smirk on his face as his dark eyes sparkled. "Or would you like me to calculate the age difference between you and Christine right in front of you?"

"No, I wouldn't," Matthew sighed. "Just watch yourself with her."

"I think you're worrying for nothing," Andrew said with a grin. "She's the sort of girl who can handle a man like me. You think way too hard about everything."

"Just be careful," Matthew said firmly and then headed back to Christine. Amelia followed him and said, "I really don't like her either. Isn't it nice we agree on something? You want me to sabotage it? Cause I will."

"No, Amelia," Matthew shook his head. "Just leave it alone."

"Are you sure?" Amelia asked. "_You_ know the relationship is wrong. _I_ know the relationship is wrong. And if I were to look after this Alice person, it would keep me away from Christine."

Matthew gave her a long look and sighed. "It's a tempting offer," he told her. "All right, you can watch them. Just don't lose your temper and do anything stupid, all right?"

"All right, I'll try," Amelia promised and then went back to watching Andrew and Alice.


	50. Rain On Your Wedding Day

"Today we get married!" Amanda shouted loudly at Viktor the morning of the wedding to rouse him from sleep. "Are you as excited as I am?"

"Of course I am," he replied, his brain still clouded with sleep. It was nice to see her excited, even though the rain outside was supposedly a portent of bad luck. "Did you have your coffee before you woke me? How are you so much more awake than I am?"

"I was so excited that I couldn't sleep!" Amanda replied. Viktor got out of bed and went to turn on the light, noticing that Amanda had her dress on already.

"Why are you wearing that now?" He asked. "Normally I have to force you out of your pajamas!"

"But this dress is so pretty!" Amanda replied, holding up some of the purple skirt. "How could I not wear it? I'm being careful not to stain it though. That wouldn't do any good."

"No, it certainly wouldn't," Viktor agreed. He then got out of bed himself, ate, showered, and dressed.

"What are we gonna do with the next couple of hours?" Amanda asked. "We still have some time before we need to be at my Grandpa's house."

"Well…I can think of _one_ way to pass the time," Viktor smiled and pulled her to him to kiss her. "What do you think?" He asked when he pulled away.

Amanda smiled. "Well, I say as long as we keep track of time, why do we have to stop this now?"

* * *

It took some time, but finally Kai found the place where the wedding was being held: a quaint and rustic house that, even though it was good-sized, seemed like the _last_ sort of place Victoria would go. As he came in, a black mask hiding his face, he had a sense that he was being watched, but he shrugged it off and went to find Victoria.

Meanwhile, Andrew, Charlotte, and Amelia were watching him. "I don't like that man," Amelia said. "He seems like he's come to ruin things."

"I agree," Charlotte replied. "What should we do?"

"What do you _think_ we should do?" Amelia asked. "Let's kill him! I can't have him ruining this!"

"You're actually caring about your granddaughter's wedding?" Andrew asked in surprise. "How uncharacteristic of you!"

"Oh, shut up!" Amelia told him. "Just because you annoy me and I'm not shy about showing it doesn't mean I can't care about other people, especially when they're doing something as nice as getting married. That's a big thing in a girl's life and I don't want it ruined for my granddaughter." She started after Kai, but Andrew held her back. "Don't make a mess of things just yet," he said. "We only have suspicions, not definite proof. Let's just watch him and if he actually _does_ something to cause trouble, _then_ I'll set you on him. What do you think about that?"

"Oh, all right," Amelia huffed. "I suppose since you were kind enough not to bring Alice here today, it would be nice of me to do what you say just this once."

"Well, how big of you," Andrew told her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Amelia replied. The three began to follow Kai around, and soon they found that they had another ally: Gwen, who saw Kai enter just as she was coming out of the bathroom.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him. "Don't tell me you've come to pester Victoria."

"Oh, I'm not pestering," Kai replied as Gwen eyed him suspiciously. "Victoria invited me. Why do you think I would be dressed in this suit if she didn't?"

"I don't believe you," Gwen replied. "Tell me what you're up to. Since you had to break out of prison to come here, I strongly suspect you're not up to anything good."

"If you're trying to threaten me, that's not gonna work," Kai told her and pushed her away. "My mother thought about me the same way you do. I've heard it all before. So how about you leave me alone and I'll leave you alone. We wouldn't want to ruin this lovely wedding day over nothing, would we?"

"Fine," Gwen replied, her eyes still narrowed. "But I'm watching you."

"Fine," Kai told her. "Whatever. Have a nice day." He saw Victoria talking to a redhead who was pregnant, just beginning to show, who he remembered was his cousin Sean's sister, Mary. Instead of approaching Victoria and giving her a chance to run from him, he hid in a corner and watched, waiting for her to come to _him_ instead. Then he'd take her in his arms and she wouldn't know what hit her.

* * *

As Victoria slipped away from the pre-wedding conversation, a man dressed in all black (including his mask) strode purposefully toward her, slipped off one of his black leather gloves and wrapped his other hand around her waist so that her back was against his front as his bare hand went up her leg and thigh and he nibbled on her ear. She breathed in quickly and whispered, "Who in the hell are you?"

"I think you know," he whispered. "You don't really want to be here, do you?"

"Yes," Victoria breathed as he blew in her ear. She shook her head, gasped, and squirmed. "No," she said. "No, I don't."

He then turned her around, pulled her to him, and they began kissing as he slowly unzipped her red dress.

"No," she breathed as she pulled away. "Not here."

So he pulled her into a corner and muttered something under his breath before he removed his mask.

"Kai," Victoria breathed before slapping him "How could you come here? I told you not to!"

"Well, you can tell me whatever you want, but that doesn't mean I'll listen," Kai replied. "And you were enjoying yourself just now, Vicky. Admit it."

"I will not," Victoria said flatly as she looked him over. "But you dressed nice to crash a wedding you weren't invited to. At least I can say that."

"Of course I dressed nicely!" Kai cried. "I may be a psychopath but that doesn't mean I can't look presentable for nice occasions."

"I assume you're here to stay?" Victoria asked. "No matter how many times I tell you to leave because I know the second my grandfather and uncle see you they _will_ beat the crap out of you for as much as breathing the same air as me?"

"Yes, I know all that," Kai replied. "But I have it all under control."

"I don't want to ask how," Victoria replied and gave his arm a yank. "The wedding is about to start and as long as you're here you might as well come sit with me so I can keep an eye on you."

"You can try," Kai replied. "But remember, I can be very sneaky when I wanna be."

"You do anything to fuck up this wedding and I'm never speaking to you again," Victoria told him in an angry whisper. "Is that clear?"

"It's clear, but I doubt you'll be able to keep that promise." He ran his finger down her cheek and gave her a kiss. "You like me too much to keep me from touching you forever."

"I doubt it," Victoria replied. "But we'll see. Now just sit quietly while the wedding's going on and don't fuck anything up."

"Okay," Kai replied. "If I get the urge to fuck things up, I'll wait until after they're married. I promise."

"That better be a joke," Victoria said as she shoved him into a chair.

"You'll just have to see, won't you," Kai winked and took her hand as the music started and Viktor and the other members of the wedding party made their way down the aisle, masks on, in weather that was remarkably beautiful and free of rain.

* * *

"….Do you, Viktor William Larson take Amanda Veronica Mikaelson to be your lawfully wedded wife as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes," Viktor nodded in answer to the officiator as he looked lovingly into Amanda's eyes, his mask off just like hers was. "I do."

"And do you, Amanda Veronica Mikaelson, take Viktor William Larson to be your lawfully wedded husband as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," Amanda replied. They exchanged rings and then the officiator smiled.

"Then, by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," he said. "You may kiss the bride."

However, Viktor and Amanda's kiss was cut short as someone let out a shriek and the bloody, headless form of the officiant fell against them. Viktor pulled Amanda away from it and they faced Kai, who stood before them, holding a bloody sword and smiling. "Congratulations," he said. "I mean that really, from the bottom of my heart."

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Victoria cried as Kai began setting things on fire with his magic and grabbed hold of Amy as she was running away. "How could you _do_ this?"

"I waited until they were officially married," Kai pointed out. "That's a good thing." He then drove his sword into Amy's stomach, laughing as her blood spurted all over his face and in his hair. She had just enough time to scream for Klaus before Kai dropped her on the floor and let her bleed out.

Klaus was chatting with Aaron and Rosalie when he heard Amy's cry. He saw Kai drop her to the floor and he felt himself begin to transform into a werewolf while he tried to decide whether he would have enough time to kill Kai before he had to save Amy, or if he should just go to Amy first.

"I'll take care of Amy," Aaron said to his surprise. "You go after Kai."

"All right," Klaus nodded. He ran in Kai's direction while Aaron and Rosalie went to stand over her mother. Rosalie held her and tried to hold back her sobs as Aaron got blood into Amy's mouth.

"That was a deep cut she got," Aaron said. "But at least with my blood in her system, she won't be dead forever, right?"

"Exactly," Rosalie nodded and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Thank you. Thank you for saving my mother even though my father killed yours."

"Well, you know how much it hurt me to be without my mother and I don't want you to have to go through the same thing," Aaron replied and leaned forward to give Rosalie a kiss.

Meanwhile Klaus, in his wolf form, had cornered Kai, but was no match for the determined warlock. A blast of power sent Klaus flying into the one of the pillars at the front of the house and he collapsed on the ground with a whimper before turning back.

Alistair and Helene helped him into the house, thinking that keeping him away from all this would be a good idea. Amy was brought in to lay beside him soon after, and once she was given blood, she reached out for his hand while he muttered apologies to her and hoped that this change in her would mean they could start over.

Meanwhile, outside, Kai had taken a break from the carnage and approached Liam and Mary. He reached out and touched her stomach. "Congratulations," he told her. "Your child is going to be very lucky."

"What does _that_ mean?" Liam asked as he held Mary tight. "I'm telling you Kai, if you so much as lay another finger on her, I-"

"You won't do anything," Kai said easily. "My purpose is not to hurt you, so if you just leave me alone, I'll let your precious wife and child live. Do you understand?"

"I would trust him," Mary said. "Liam, he's letting us go. Let's just walk away."

"You married a smart girl," Kai told Liam appreciatively. "_Much_ too smart to be related to Sean."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Mary said, her chin up as she pulled Liam away to their car while she felt her heart race and her breathing pick up. Then, to Liam's surprise (and terror) she stopped moving, grabbed Kai, and then he screamed as his skin began to bubble and blister. Liam watched this go for a moment, remembering that being pregnant meant Mary's powers were at a high, but then pulled her away. Kai stood there for a moment, burned and angry, before heading toward the house. He'd had enough. It was time to leave with Victoria. Everyone, including the bride and groom, were practically gone anyway. Astrid and Alistair had gone to call up reinforcements from the Council and everyone else had just run away (although there were still plenty around to put up a fight, including Selina and Elijah).

Meanwhile, Matthew was fully aware of what was going on and trying to figure out what to do about it.

"Don't worry," Amelia assured him. "We've had our eye on that man ever since he walked in the door. I didn't trust him a bit. You stay here. Charlotte, Andrew and I will handle it."

"All right," Matthew replied.

"Do you think _I_ could be of any help?" Christine asked Amelia, their hostilities momentarily suspended.

"No," Charlotte answered for Amelia. "Even if you could transform into a werewolf, you saw what happened with that other one. Just stay in here and if we can think of something for you to do, we'll tell you."

"All right," Christine replied. "I can do that."

"How's our daughter?" Matthew asked Amelia. "Is she okay? Have you seen her?"

Amelia looked out the window and chuckled to herself. "She's fighting, as can be expected, probably to get out her rage about you and Christine. And Elijah doesn't look too happy about it, even though he's helping her. She doesn't seem hurt, though."

"Good," Matthew breathed a sigh of relief, going back to sit next to Christine and put his arms around her in a protective way, befitting the way a man would treat his future fiancée.

* * *

Amelia was right about Elijah. It was with immense relief that he saw Kol approaching. "You want me to take this off your hands?" He asked, glaring at Kai. "Nik will be out in a few minutes. We have a bone to pick with this man."

"All right," Elijah nodded and pulled away a very bummed Selina, hoping that the fight hadn't made her too bloodthirsty.

Klaus and Kol then dragged Kai away. After being injured by Mary, he wasn't as strong as he had been so Klaus and Kol were able to give him a sound beating. When Victoria saw them, she asked what was going on.

"We caught the man at last," Kol told her. "Would you like to get in a few licks yourself, darling?"

"Vicky please," Kai told her as he let out a cough. "I'm sorry about all this. You let them hurt me anymore and I'll die."

Victoria looked at his horribly injured body and cursed herself, knowing that what she was about to do would probably cost her dearly. "Let him go," she told her grandfather and her uncle. "I'll take care of him. I'm the only one he listens to."

"No," Kol shook his head. "I don't trust him farther than I can throw him. Especially around you." He looked at Klaus. "Let's just get it over with and kill him," he suggested.

"I have no problem with that," Klaus agreed. They then let out a cry of shock as Kai was zapped away from them and Victoria took a firm grasp of his hand.

"No," she told them firmly. "I told you I would deal with this and I mean it."

"You're so kind, Vicky," Kai told her.

"Shut up," Victoria replied. "Don't speak to me." She took him inside the house and told him to stay put while she figured out what to do with him. But he wasn't left in peace though. Amelia, Charlotte, and Andrew began pelting him with things and at one point, sent the ceiling fan hurtling down toward his head. However, he managed to roll away just in time.

Soon, he heard the sirens of approaching Council cars which meant he had very little time to do what he was going to do if he didn't want to be dragged back to prison again. He did the spell to open up the portal to his home away from home, grabbed Victoria, who came to tell him what she had in mind to do with him, and pulled them both through. By the time Sean, Eva, and James got inside the house, the portal was gone, and all James could tell Regina and Declan was that they would do their best to try and get Victoria home, no matter how long it took.

**The End**

**Next up: The Father, The Daughter, The Bride, where Selina continues to struggle with Matthew and Christine's relationship. She (and Elijah too) become susceptible to Amelia's negative influence when Christine and Matthew get engaged and she realizes that her stepdaughter will become her stepmother while in Elijah's case, his father-in-law will also become his son-in-law.**


End file.
